An alleged "murder dentist" in Colorado. Hawaii husband takes the stand at his second murder trial. And Keith talks about his latest podcast series.

Summary

Dateline NBC – Episode Summary Release Date: February 20, 2025

Overview In this riveting episode of Dateline NBC, the team delves into a series of gripping true-crime stories, including the harrowing case of an alleged "murder dentist" in Colorado, a second murder trial in Hawaii where the defendant takes the stand, and a comprehensive roundup of national crime headlines. Additionally, acclaimed journalist Keith Morrison discusses his latest podcast series, Murder in the Moonlight. This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn throughout the episode.

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1. Colorado’s Alleged "Murder Dentist" – James Craig

Case Background The episode opens with a detailed examination of James Craig, a dentist from Aurora, Colorado, accused of first-degree murder for allegedly poisoning his wife, Angela, in 2023. Prosecutors allege that Craig laced her protein shakes with potassium cyanide and tetrahydrozoline—found in eye drops.

Trial Developments Craig's legal saga has been tumultuous, marked by the withdrawal of two previous defense teams. In November, as Craig was set to go to trial, his defense team abruptly pulled out, leading to last-minute schedule changes reported by NBC affiliate KUSA 9 News in Denver.

New Charges and Allegations In a recent hearing, prosecutors introduced explosive new allegations: Craig is accused of soliciting murder and perjury. It's claimed that while in detention, Craig attempted to coerce fellow inmates into killing law enforcement officials investigating his wife's murder and fabricating evidence against him.

Prosecutors’ Evidence

• Solicitation to Commit Murder: Prosecutors assert that Craig approached inmate Nathaniel Harris with an offer of $20,000 to eliminate Detective Harris, another officer, and two fellow inmates.
• Fabrication of Evidence: Letters sent to Harris’s ex-wife, allegedly offering a "blank check" to fabricate testimonial evidence, were spotlighted. Prosecutor Tim Muhlinger highlighted that Craig attempted to manipulate key evidence, stating, “the prosecution has the evidence that they needed for the burden for the charges to be brought to trial” (05:34).

Defense’s Position Craig maintains his innocence, claiming Angela was suicidal and intended to poison herself. During the hearing, his new attorney challenged the validity of handwriting analyses linking Craig to the incriminating letters, arguing potential cross-contamination of evidence.

Courtroom Dynamics DATELINE producer Tim Muhlinger provided firsthand insights from the courtroom, noting Craig’s visible reaction when referred to as the "murder dentist": “he had been referred to as, quote, unquote, the murder dentist. And I did see him flinch at that point” (05:24).

Upcoming Trial With the trial tentatively scheduled for mid-July to early August, the case remains a focal point as both prosecution and defense prepare their arguments. Craig has pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining his stance of innocence.

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2. Hawaii’s Second Murder Trial – Eric Thompson

Case Overview Switching to Hawaii, the episode covers Eric Thompson's second murder trial for the alleged killing of John Takuhara, his wife Joyce’s ex-lover and an acupuncturist. The initial trial in mid-2023 concluded with a hung jury, leading to this retrial.

Courtroom Proceedings Unlike the first trial, Thompson chose to take the stand in his own defense. Sworn in on the stand, he was subjected to intense cross-examination by the prosecution.

Defense’s Narrative Thompson asserts he held no animosity towards Takuhara and presents an alibi, claiming he was disposing of construction waste elsewhere on the island at the time of the murder. Surveillance footage from his home corroborates his whereabouts, showing normal daily activities unrelated to the crime scene.

Prosecution’s Case The prosecution relies heavily on forensic evidence, particularly a white bucket hat found at the scene. Initially tested by Honolulu PD’s crime lab, the prosecution sought additional verification from Cyber Genetics. New analyses indicated that while Takuhara did not wear the hat, Thompson was overwhelmingly more likely to have been its wearer. However, the defense suggests possible cross-contamination, casting doubt on the findings.

Key Testimonies

• Daryl Fujita’s Involvement: One of the prosecution’s witnesses, sergeant from the sheriff’s office, testified that Craig attempted to involve an inmate in corrupt activities, further painting a picture of his character.
• Thompson’s Personal Life: Thompson highlighted his stable relationship with his wife, Joyce, emphasizing their ability to overcome past issues including her brief affair.

Notable Quotes

• Eric Thompson: “I let her do her thing. I probably didn't even pick out that suit myself. I think Joyce took care of everything.” (12:29)
• Josh Mankiewicz on Thompson’s Past: “He made her call up her parents and admit that she was having an affair.” (14:08)

Trial Outcome With the jury deliberations underway, the case against Thompson remains unresolved. The defense aims to dismantle the prosecution’s forensic evidence, while the prosecution seeks to establish Thompson’s intent and opportunity.

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3. Dateline Roundup – National Crime Stories

Karen Reed Case Update An update from Dedham, Massachusetts, details the ongoing trial of Karen Reed, accused of drunkenly backing her SUV into her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in 2022. During a recent motions hearing, the judge suspended proceedings over concerns regarding the defense's handling of expert witness information related to accident reconstruction.

Brian Kohberger's Trial In Idaho, Brian Kohberger, charged with the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students in 2022, faces trial hurdles as his defense revealed additional unidentified blood samples at the crime scene. Despite these revelations, Judge Stephen Hippler ruled that the DNA information and other evidence will be admissible in court, allowing the prosecution to proceed without suppressing critical data.

The Zizians Cult Arrests Western Maryland saw the arrest of Jack Lasota, leader of the Zizians—a group linked to multiple murders across Pennsylvania, California, and Vermont. Lasota faces misdemeanors including trespassing and obstruction, while associates Michelle Zyko and another member were also detained. These arrests mark significant progress in dismantling the cult’s criminal activities.

Notable Insights

• Rachel White’s Analysis: Dana White provided an in-depth look into procedural developments and legal strategies employed in these high-profile cases, underscoring the complexities and challenges law enforcement faces in securing convictions.

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4. Keith Morrison on "Murder in the Moonlight"

Podcast Introduction Acclaimed journalist Keith Morrison introduces his new podcast series, Murder in the Moonlight, which explores the enigmatic murder of a prominent family in Murdoch, Nebraska. The series promises to unravel layers of deception, hidden motives, and intricate investigative efforts.

Episode Highlights

• The Gold Ring Mystery: A central element of the series is the discovery of a gold ring in an unconventional location—a pristine kitchen—raising questions about its ownership and origin. This piece of evidence serves as the MacGuffin, driving the investigation forward.
• Multi-State Investigation: The narrative expands beyond Murdoch, involving multiple states and law enforcement agencies as investigators piece together the multifaceted aspects of the crime.
• Detective Work vs. Missteps: Morrison emphasizes the duality of effective detective work juxtaposed with procedural errors, highlighting how pivotal moments can both solve and complicate cases.

Teaser Soundbite Listeners are treated to an audio clip showcasing the meticulous efforts of a jewelry manufacturer in Buffalo, New York, tracking down the elusive buyer of the gold ring. The dedication and perseverance exhibited underscore the lengths investigators will go to uncover the truth.

Notable Quotes

• Keith Morrison: “It's a crime that was solved until it wasn't solved. It was wrapped up quite neatly in a bow and then suddenly, oh, maybe not.” (21:27)
• Morrison on Key Evidence: “Somebody found a gold ring in a place where it didn't belong in an otherwise scrupulously clean kitchen.” (21:54)

Upcoming Episodes Murder in the Moonlight will release new episodes on Monday and Wednesday each week, promising listeners a deep dive into the intricacies of cold cases, forensic breakthroughs, and the human stories behind the headlines.

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5. Upcoming Features and Credits

Final Story Preview The episode concludes with a preview of an upcoming two-hour feature titled A Walk in the Woods, focusing on the unsolved murders of two schoolgirls in Delphi, Indiana. This case, highlighted by a grainy photo and a mysterious voice recording, remains a haunting mystery that the police are eager to solve.

Production Credits Dateline True Crime Weekly is produced by an adept team, including Franny Kelly and Katie Ferguson, with contributions from associate producers Carson Cummins and Caroline Casey, and senior producer Liz Brown. The production team is supported by fact-checkers, digital producers, sound designers, and executive producers ensuring the delivery of high-quality investigative journalism.

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Conclusion This episode of Dateline NBC offers a compelling exploration of complex criminal cases, showcasing meticulous investigative reporting and in-depth analysis. From the courtroom battles of James Craig and Eric Thompson to national crime updates and the intriguing new podcast series by Keith Morrison, listeners are treated to a comprehensive look at the multifaceted world of true crime.

For more detailed information on the cases featured, visit datelinetruecrimeweekly.com. To enjoy ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Dateline Premium.

Transcript

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hey, Jim, is it cold and miserable out?

[Blaine Alexander]

You're listening in to a story meeting at dateline headquarters in 30 Rockefeller Center.

[Kelly Moody]

It's raining, but it's actually pretty mild.

[Blaine Alexander]

Our editorial team is catching up on breaking crime news around the country.

[Keith Morrison]

So there's one ex boyfriend who's a suspect for a while out west.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Josh pointed this out last night. Josh Mankiewicz.

[Tim Muhlinger]

So many crazy things have happened. This is the third defense team he's had.

[Blaine Alexander]

Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly. I'm Blaine Alexander in for Andrea Canning, who's off this week. It's February 20th, and here's what's on our docket. In Hawaii, a man accused of murdering his wife's acupuncturist ex lover took the stand in his own defense.

[Eric Thompson]

Did you kill John Tokuhara? No. No, no, no.

[Blaine Alexander]

And we've got this week's roundup of top crime stories, including the arrest of the leader of a group called the Zizians, which prosecutors believe is connected to six violent deaths on defense motions in Idaho for Bryan Kohberger and drama in the latest pretrial hearing in the Karen Reed case.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Reid was in court on Tuesday for a motions hearing when all of a sudden the judge suspended it.

[Blaine Alexander]

Plus, Keith Morrison will be here to fill us in on his latest podcast series, Murder in the Moonlight.

[Keith Morrison]

Somebody found a gold ring in a place where it didn't belong. Did it belong to the killer? And then you go on a long and winding pathway to find the truth.

[Blaine Alexander]

But before all that, we're heading back to Aurora, Colorado, where a dentist awaiting trial on charges of allegedly murdering his wife was back in court last week facing new charges. It all started back in 2023. James Craig was arrested for the first degree murder of his wife, Angela. Prosecutors say he poisoned her protein shakes with potassium cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, which is found in eye drops. Now, if this sounds familiar, it might be because we've talked about the case on the podcast here before. Last November, when Craig was set to go to trial. That is, until his defense team withdrew at the last minute. On the day that jury selection was set to begin, Our NBC affiliate KUSA 9 News in Denver reported on that development.

[Keith Morrison]

He told the judge he'd received new records in the case and asked to.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Withdraw as Craig's attorney.

[Keith Morrison]

Barely 24 hours after that, prosecutors accused Craig of plotting murder and false testimony.

[Blaine Alexander]

At a hearing last week, we finally got to hear more about the murders that the prosecution says Craig had planned. DATELINE producer Tim Muhlinger was in the courtroom. And he joins us now to tell us what he learned and where the case could go next. Tim, thank you so much for being here with us.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Thank you so much for having me. This story is really crazy to say that.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, it's got tons of twists and turns. So just to start, can you quickly just remind us, remind our listeners of the original crime that James Craig was accused of. The murder of his wife, Angela.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Yes, Blaine. Angela and James had been married for about 23 years. James had a dental practice where Angela at times worked as an office manager. In March of 2023, about two years ago, she had been feeling sick for several weeks and had been making trips to the er and on her final trip, she was admitted in grave condition and then died. According to the arrest warrant, James, Craig's business partner told a nurse at the hospital that James had recently ordered potassium cyanide to the dental practice. The nurse called police, and Craig was arrested the next day.

[Blaine Alexander]

Wow. Okay. So I guess that begs the question, did Craig have any explanation for why he had that potassium cyanide?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, according to the arrest warrant, James told his business partner Angela had asked him to order the potassium cyanide, and he believed she was suicidal.

[Blaine Alexander]

So what are investigators saying about a motive? What are they pointing to there?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, there were emails, sexually explicit conversations, and travel plans with a woman who was not Angela, first of all. And then, according to the arrest warrant, Angela's sister told police the marriage had always been tumultuous and that James had multiple affairs and had drugged Angela in the past.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, so fast forward to last fall, and Craig is hit with the other charges. Solicitation to commit murder and solicitation to commit perj. What do we know about those accusations?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, Blaine, during the hearing last week, prosecutors revealed that Craig allegedly plotted to have four people killed. Prosecutors said Craig tried to get fellow inmate Nathaniel Harris to kill the lead detective investigating Angela's murder, another officer, and two other inmates who were in the same detention facility.

[Blaine Alexander]

Those are some mighty explosive allegations. My goodness.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Yes, they were.

[Blaine Alexander]

Tim, you were in court for this hearing. What did we learn about the prosecution's case?

[Tim Muhlinger]

The hearing took almost three hours, and prosecution called two witnesses. One of the witnesses, a sergeant from the sheriff's office, said in an interview Harris, that other inmate had told him Craig offered him $20,000. Craig then allegedly contacted Harris's ex wife by two letters and offered, quote, essentially a blank check to help make up evidence of texts, phone records, photos, et cetera.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, Tim, so prosecutors are saying that these letters Were part of Craig's plan to fabricate evidence. But I'm curious, through all of this, did James Craig have any sort of visible reaction as prosecutors were talking through all of this new evidence?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, at one point, Blaine, during the preliminary hearing, he had been referred to as, quote, unquote, the murder dentist. And I did see him flinch at that point.

[Blaine Alexander]

Craig is now on his third defense team. What did his lawyers have to say at the hearing?

[Tim Muhlinger]

The new attorney said there wasn't any testing or verification of the handwriting in those letters to tie it back to Craig. But the judge ultimately decided that the prosecution had the evidence that they needed for the burden for the charges to be brought to trial.

[Blaine Alexander]

And what's notable, this is not the first time that Craig has been accused of interfering with his case from jail. Right. Prosecutors say that he has allegedly asked other inmates to help him fabricate evidence twice before this.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Yes, it's really unusual. Last May, a detective said at a hearing that James Craig had asked a fellow inmate to help place letters at his house that would seem to have been written by Angela stating that she was suicidal. James allegedly promised the inmate free dental work or to post bail in exchange for help. The defense said the inmate had glaring credibility issues, including an active arrest warrant when he contacted police. Then, last September, a detective testified that James had sent a letter to a man who had been in jail with him, asking him to help him find women who would be willing to testify that they had had an affair with him, and that when Andrea learned about the affairs, she asked the woman to help her frame James for a crime.

[Blaine Alexander]

So it seems, Tim, that we know a lot about the prosecution's case from evidence that they've talked about in documents or in hearings in court. What do we know about what James Craig's defense is going to look like?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, it's a little difficult on that right now because they haven't really had a chance to present what they might want to do in trial. And we always have to remember, you know, innocent until proven guilty. So far, based on what James has told investigators, he seems to be sticking to his story that Angela was having suicidal thoughts and may have poisoned herself. So there's a lot we don't know. He's pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and to two charges of tampering with evidence. Last week, he also pleaded not guilty to those new charges. But ultimately, we're really waiting for a trial to hear what the defense's case is.

[Blaine Alexander]

Any idea when we will actually see a trial in this?

[Tim Muhlinger]

Well, you know, as you know, the trial has been moved three different times, but we do think it may start in the middle of July and lead up until probably the beginning of August.

[Blaine Alexander]

So we'll be watching very closely this summer. Tim, thank you so much for following all of this and joining us today.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Oh, thank you so much, Brian. Take care.

[Blaine Alexander]

Up next, a Hawaii man is standing trial for the second time on charges he murdered his wife's ex lover last week. Jurors got to hear from him for themselves in Honolulu. It's the final days of Eric Thompson's murder trial. He's accused of killing John Tokuhara, the acupuncturist his wife had a brief affair with back in 2022. He and his lawyers were undecided until the last minute on Eric taking the stand in his own defense. But Thursday afternoon he was sworn in. We solely swore, confirmed that the testimony we're about to give should be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[Eric Thompson]

Yes.

[Blaine Alexander]

And he stayed on the stand for three days. DATELINE associate producer Kelly Moody was inside the courtroom and she joins me now to tell us what Eric says happened between him and his wife Joyce and what he was doing that January evening when John Tokuhar died. Kelly, thanks so much for joining us today.

[Kelly Moody]

Yeah, you bet.

[Blaine Alexander]

First, just kind of remind us what Eric Thompson is accused of.

[Kelly Moody]

Yeah. So Eric Thompson is charged with murder in the second degree. John Takahara was killed in January of 2022. It was his mother who actually found him devastating. A month later, Eric Thompson was arrested. And the prosecution says that he disguised himself, that he parked his truck down the street from John's clinic and burned the clothes that he was wearing after. But he had made a mistake, according to the prosecution, by dropping this white bucket hat. The hat was then tested and in the first trial, a criminalist from the Honolulu PD crime lab testified that it was only likely that it was Thompson's DNA that was on the hat, but it wasn't 100% conclusive.

[Blaine Alexander]

What is the defense saying in all of this?

[Kelly Moody]

So the defense has argued, and now Eric has testified that he wasn't angry at John and never confronted him about this affair. And then his alibi was that he was actually on a completely different part of the island dumping construction waste at the time that John was shot. And Eric's first trial back in July to August of 2023 actually ended in a hung jury. So this is the second go around.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah. So far it's been pretty similar to the first trial. Right. Are the same Witnesses being called here?

[Kelly Moody]

Yeah, the prosecution has made pretty much the same case and called a lot of the same witnesses, including two of the men whose partners had affairs with John Takahara. One of the men was the first person that police had actually looked at. Daryl Fujita.

[Eric Thompson]

He was dating my ex girlfriend.

[Tim Muhlinger]

It's all good.

[Kelly Moody]

Whatever the prosecution is saying, we looked at them and we ruled them out, leaving then Eric Thompson as their sole suspect.

[Blaine Alexander]

So one of the big pieces in all of this is that white bucket hat. What's happening with the new testing on that hat?

[Kelly Moody]

Yeah, the white bucket hat is the proverbial glove, if you will. For Eric's second trial, the prosecution asked a new lab called Cyber Genetics to look at the evidence. And the short story here is that the inside of the crown of the hat and the side of the hat show that Daryl Fujita did not wear that hat. And Eric Thompson was 16.4 trillion times more likely to have worn the hat on cross. Defense notes that different pieces of evidence were actually stored together. And they're then implying that this could have been cross contamination.

[Blaine Alexander]

On Thursday, Eric Thompson took the stand in his own defense.

[Kelly Moody]

Right. So it took a bit for them to actually decide if Eric was going to take the stand himself in the second trial. He did in the first trial, as the defense was questioning him, they talked a lot about his relationship with his wife, Joyce. They were high school sweethearts. They showed their prom photos. Eric said that their relationship was definitely one where opposites attracted, that they each did their own thing, which, of course, was aiming at countering what the prosecution had said in opening statements, that he was controlling and that they had the surveillance cameras on the house that he was looking at when he was away.

[Eric Thompson]

I let her do her thing. I probably didn't even pick out that suit myself. I think Joyce took care of everything.

[Blaine Alexander]

And, of course, the big elephant in the room is his wife's affair. Right. Has Eric testified about it, and how has he reacted to that portion of this?

[Kelly Moody]

So Eric has testified that they were able to put the affair behind them, and they've been able to carry on with normal life. So he talked a lot about what happened on January 12, 2022. For him, that's the day that John Tokahara died. So he testifies that he had a pretty normal day. He had been doing a lot of construction around his house, and he was driving a bunch of bricks over to the dump. And then later in the evening, he went to the grocery store to buy the special milk that they give their.

[Eric Thompson]

Toddler who plus dha. It's good for brain development. So we always try and you get it to where you are.

[Kelly Moody]

And he went to buy beer.

[Eric Thompson]

Where were you going to get beer from? Any longs? I like natural ice beer. Natty ice. Natty ice, yeah.

[Kelly Moody]

And a lot of that movement was captured on the Thompson security cameras as well as neighboring surveillance cameras.

[Eric Thompson]

What's going on in your mind? How are you and Joyce doing? Better than ever. Pretty good. Were there any triggers at this point regarding John Takahara? Was he on your mind? Was there any angst or anger? No, not at all. I mean, no, that was. It wasn't an issue at all for months.

[Blaine Alexander]

But then, of course, he faced cross examination by the prosecution. Were they able to land any blows? Anything major there?

[Kelly Moody]

Cross has been pretty focused on doing a compare and contrast of Eric's testimony at his first trial and what he's saying now.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

He made her call up her parents and admit that she was having an affair. Correct.

[Eric Thompson]

Eventually that call did happen. I mean, it was part of. It's complex.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

In your previous testimony, you said you wanted her to own up to it, right?

[Eric Thompson]

I'm not sure.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

If you could please turn to exhibit 402, page 155. Let me know when your memory is refreshed.

[Eric Thompson]

Yes, I did say that.

[Blaine Alexander]

What is left to go in this trial?

[Kelly Moody]

It's off to the jury. So now we are waiting to see what will be the verdict in the second trial for Eric Thompson.

[Blaine Alexander]

This is truly a fascinating case. Kelly, thanks so much.

[Kelly Moody]

Yeah, you're welcome.

[Blaine Alexander]

Coming up, it's DATELINE roundup. Big rulings from the judge in Bryan Kohberger's case, drama at the courthouse before Karen Reed's second trial. And more about the arrest of the leader of a cult like group called the Zizians, which police have connected to murders from Pennsylvania to California. Plus, Keith Morrison will be here to talk about Murder in the moonlight, his latest podcast series. Welcome back. Joining us for this week's Dateline roundup is DATELINE super producer Rachel White. Hi, Rachel.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Hey, Blaine. How are you?

[Blaine Alexander]

I'm good. Glad to have you with us. So we've got a lot to talk about. First up, we are off to Dedham, Massachusetts for an update in the Karen Reed case. And you'll remember she's the woman accused of drunkenly backing her SUV into her police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, back in 2022 and leaving him to die in the snow.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yeah, as our listeners might remember, Reid went to trial, but there was a hung jury. And so her retrial is set to start in April.

[Blaine Alexander]

Okay, so what's the news that we have in the run up to this retrial?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So Reid was in court on Tuesday for a motions hearing. All of a sudden, about halfway through the day, the judge suspended it. And this is what she said when she addressed the courtroom. Commonwealth just provided the court with information that causes me grave concern.

[Blaine Alexander]

The implications of that information may have.

[Kelly Moody]

Profound effects on this defense and defense counsel.

[Blaine Alexander]

So what information is the judge talking about here?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

She didn't say exactly. But just before she ended the hearing, the prosecution was discussing the defense's contracting of a called arca. And ARCA works on accident reconstruction. And if you remember, in Reed's first trial, the defense brought two ARCA experts to the stand, and they testified that the damage on Reed's SUV could not have been from hitting a pedestrian, I. E. John O'Keefe. The prosecution is now alleging that the defense withheld information from the prosecution and the court about those contracted experts. And they say that the defense never disclosed that the experts received $23,000 for their testimony, nor that defense collaborated with the experts on that testimony. The jury was told that they were retained independently.

[Blaine Alexander]

Wow. So those are some pretty big accusations about testimony that was really important for the defense. So what happens next here?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So the hearing's been rescheduled for next week, so we'll see if the judge shares any more information about her decision to end the hearing early, and we'll see if she allows those experts back for Reed's second trial, which again is set for April.

[Blaine Alexander]

Next, let's go to Idaho. And there is some big news in the case of Brian Coburger, the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students back in 2022. Rachel, what did we learn about this one?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Well, Blaine, there's a gag order in place, so there's a lot that the public still doesn't know about this case. But as the court has been gearing up for the summer's trial, there have been some hearings that talk about possible evidence in the case. So we've known for a while now that Coburger was initially charged with the murders based on detect allegedly matching his DNA to DNA found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene. But his defense has made this bombshell new claim. They revealed recently that detectives found blood at the crime scene from two additional males, both of whom are still unidentified.

[Blaine Alexander]

So the defense here is possibly laying the groundwork for alternate suspects. Right. Do we know where that blood was found? At the scene.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

One male's blood was found on a railing inside the house where the four students were killed, and a different male's blood was found on a glove outside the house. Kohberger's defense alleges that the police failed to disclose those unidentified blood samples to a judge when they sought that warrant for Kohberger's arrest in December of 2022. And the prosecution has not disputed it.

[Blaine Alexander]

So the defense was arguing the arrest warrant should be thrown out. But just this Wednesday, Judge Stephen Hippler issued his ruling on the defense's motions to suppress the DNA information, arrest warrants, and Coburger's cell phone data. So all of that will actually be allowed in the trial this summer.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Exactly.

[Blaine Alexander]

Finally, we're off to western Maryland for an update in a case that we first told you about a couple of weeks ago. Investigators linked the murders of an elderly man in California, a husband and wife in Pennsylvania, and the fatal shooting of a Vermont border guard to a group of young people called the Zizians. What's the news there, Rachel?

[Josh Mankiewicz]

So the group's leader, known as zy, legal name Jack Lasota, was arrested last weekend in western Maryland. Lodo was charged with trespassing, having a handgun in a vehicle and obstructing and hindering, all of which are misdemeanors.

[Blaine Alexander]

Now police have arrested someone else here, too.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Yeah, two other people in fact. One Michelle Zyko, another Zizian who was a person of interest in the Vermont border guard shooting, plus the murders of that Pennsylvania couple who were actually Zycho's parents. Zycho was also only charged with misdemeanors.

[Blaine Alexander]

Rachel, thanks so much for bringing us all of that. We are so glad to have you on today.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Thank you, Blaine Featherson.

[Blaine Alexander]

For our final story this week, we are joined by a very special guest, the most special of guests. Keith Morrison is here to talk about his brand new original podcast, Murder in the Moonlight. Hi, Keith.

[Keith Morrison]

Hello, Blaine. Thank you for having me on your program today.

[Blaine Alexander]

Well, I'm so glad to have you here. This story, this is a fascinating one. It starts in Murdoch, Nebraska. It's a small farming town. And you have this line in there in the first episode that I love where it says, heads turn when a stranger drives by. And, and it really feels like that kind of small town where everybody knows everybody. Where that really is is true.

[Keith Morrison]

Exactly. A small, very cohesive town. And one of the finest families in town was headed by a couple who were just about as fine as a husband and wife could be. They'd raised a wonderful family. They'd run a successful agricultural business. They had done everything that they should do. They'd done it all right for many years. And then something happened.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

The minister called and they said, your mom died of being killed.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Never in a million years would you.

[Josh Mankiewicz]

Think that you'd see your parents house taped off, the farm taped off by that yellow tape.

[Keith Morrison]

Investigators focused early on somebody close to the victim who was a bit of a ne'er do well, and he and a cousin of his were pinned for the crime. Then the question was, did they do it or didn't they do it? In fact, one of them confessed. So that, that kind of made it look pretty obvious that they did, but things developed from there. I don't want to give away too much, you know.

[Blaine Alexander]

No, but that's one heck of a tease. You know, a couple of things about this podcast stand out. We get to see two very different sides of an investigation. There's some really great detective work that happens, and then there's some not so great detective work that happens. And so investigators figure out pretty quickly that there were two people in the house that night. How did they even do that?

[Keith Morrison]

One of the titles that we thought we might choose for our story, we didn't in the end, but we were thinking about it was Blood Shadow. And the reason was a rifle was fired at one of the victims. It created a blood spatter which traveled across a hallway and hit a wall. But on the wall was a person shape where there was no blood spatter, which indicated that there was somebody else involved in addition to the main shooter.

[Blaine Alexander]

Interesting. Wow, that's. How's that for highlighting some detective work? So the story starts in Murdoch, Nebraska, but it doesn't stay there. It ends up being a multi state investigation involving several law enforcement agencies. Right.

[Keith Morrison]

It was a crime that was solved until it wasn't solved. It was. It was wrapped up quite neatly in a bow and then suddenly, oh, maybe not. This was a story in which there is. And it doesn't happen that often, but. But I like to point it out when it does. You're familiar with the term MacGuffin, which is that kind of small, apparently insignificant thing that eventually turns a tail on its head. This story has a. Has a pure MacGuffin. It's just quite an interesting one. You know, somebody found a gold ring in a place where it didn't belong in an otherwise scrupulously clean kitchen, and nobody could figure out who it belonged to. So whose was it and where did it come from? Then you Go on a long and winding pathway to find the truth.

[Blaine Alexander]

So we've got some sound from an upcoming episode. It features an unsuspecting woman in Buffalo, New York, who was running a jewelry manufacturing business. Police asked for her help in tracking down who might have bought the ring just in case it was one of the killers. Here's that sound.

[Tim Muhlinger]

So I started with just facts. Number one, stores one through 25.

[Blaine Alexander]

Then box number two, stores 25 through 30.

[Keith Morrison]

And you went through each one?

[Blaine Alexander]

Yes, until I got to like 100, and I believe it was 108 or 118. I said, this is going to be impossible.

[Keith Morrison]

How long did that process take?

[Tim Muhlinger]

It took me probably three days and two nights.

[Keith Morrison]

Does that seem a little over the top? I mean, you could look for an hour or so and say, well, I can't find it, sorry, and that would be that.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Yeah, I heard homicide.

[Blaine Alexander]

Oh, I heard it was important.

[Keith Morrison]

The woman you've just heard is, is in my mind the hero of the story because she goes above and beyond. There were a lot of old files. You know, she had to go through stacks and stacks and stacks of them, which she did one by one to look at all the invoices for all the gold rings that were ordered from that jewelry shop in Buffalo. The question of whether she finds it or not or finds out where it went would become crucial to this entire investigation.

[Blaine Alexander]

Yeah, this was definitely a fascinating one, Keith. I can't wait to listen to the entire series. It's fantastic. And next week, episodes will be dropping on Monday and Wednesday. So Keith, we've got a lot of stuff to look forward to. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Keith Morrison]

Thank you. Take care.

[Blaine Alexander]

That's it for this episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly. Andrea Canning will be right back here with you next week. If you want to find out more about the cases featured on our podcast, check out our website at dateline true crimeweekly.com and to get ad free listening for all of our podcasts, subscribe to Dateline Premium. Coming up this Friday on Dateline, Andrea has an all new two hour episode. Two schoolgirls murdered in the woods of Delphi, Indiana. For years, the case went unsolved. Police were at a standstill except for one clue, a grainy picture and a gravelly voice captured on one of the girls cell phones.

[Tim Muhlinger]

They had to be scared out of their minds.

[Blaine Alexander]

The voice of the killer.

[Keith Morrison]

Voice of the killer.

[Blaine Alexander]

Could these girls help solve their own mystery? Watch A Walk in the woods airing this Friday at 9, 8 Central on NBC or stream it starting Saturday on Peacock. Thanks so much for listening. Dateline True Crime Weekly is produced by Franny Kelly and Katie Ferguson. Our associate producers are Carson Cummins and Caroline Casey. Our senior producer is Liz Brown. Kuriloff production and fact checking help by Sara Kadir. Veronica Mazeka is our digital producer. Rick Kwan is our sound designer. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Bryson Barnes is head of audio production. Paul Ryan is executive producer. And Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline. Okay, Anything else?

[Kelly Moody]

All right, thanks very much.

[Tim Muhlinger]

Bye.