The family matriarch’s defense. A landmark decision in the Gilgo Beach murders case. And a mom hits the road seeking justice.

Summary

Dateline NBC: True Crime Weekly

Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Andrea Canning
Episode Overview:
This episode dives into three major stories: the defense of family matriarch Donna Adelson in a Florida murder-for-hire trial, a landmark DNA decision in the Gilgo Beach murders case, and a mother’s extraordinary road trip crusade to keep her daughter's unsolved homicide in the national spotlight. Updates on other high-profile cases, including Burning Man’s still-unfolding investigation and a Colorado murder suspect’s court fight, are also featured.

---

1. Donna Adelson’s Defense: The Florida Grandmother on Trial

Segment begins at 02:15

Key Discussion Points

• Background: Donna Adelson, accused of helping plan the 2014 murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law Dan Markel, faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation (02:15).
• Prosecution Case: Presented wiretapped calls, details from an FBI sting ("The Bump"), and startling new evidence:
  • Markel's car and license plate number were found in Donna's planner.
  • Jailhouse confession to a bunkmate:

    “[Donna] said she did it was to keep her grandkids, but it wasn’t supposed to go that far.”
    —Court Witness (03:14)

• Defense Strategy:
  • Brought in Donna’s friends and investigators as character witnesses.
  • Emphasized alternate explanations for incriminating details:
    • One-way airline tickets to Vietnam (a non-extradition country) were explained as non-nefarious by friend Anne Cunningham and confirmed by travel-savvy friend Richard Chagrin, who said it was his idea for practical reasons (04:27–06:57).

    “The ironic thing was that the round trip was a fraction more than one way...book a one way.”
    —Richard Chagrin (06:44)

• Emotional Testimony: Anne Cunningham attested to Donna’s distress after the murder and her son Charlie’s conviction.
• Did Donna Take the Stand?
  • After deliberation, Donna declined, exercising her right to remain silent:

    “I don’t want to testify.”
    —Donna Adelson (as relayed by Brad Davis, 08:14)

Notable Moments & Quotes

• The defense presented relatable, everyday concerns and long-standing relationships to counter the prosecution’s circumstantial case.
• The court and listeners were left wondering if her silence would help or hurt, as only Donna could clarify critical ambiguities.

  “She’s really the only person who can explain a lot of things that prosecution has laid out...But then there’s the risk...”
  —Brad Davis (08:19)

Next Steps

• The defense rested; closing arguments scheduled for Thursday (08:58).

---

2. Landmark DNA Ruling in the Gilgo Beach Murders

Segment begins at 11:26

Case Summary

• Background: Since 1993, 11 sets of remains (mainly sex workers) have been found on Long Island beaches (11:26).
• Suspect: Rex Heuermann, an architect, charged with seven murders, pleads not guilty; case pivots on DNA found on burlap sacks used to wrap victims (12:04).

Key Developments & Insights

• New DNA Technology:
  • "Whole genome sequencing" used to analyze five hairs found at the scene, linking at least one to Heuermann, others to his wife and daughter (who were cleared) (13:12–13:36).
  • Technology allows conclusive identification even from old, degraded samples (14:35).

    “They can say, with a much higher degree of certitude, this is the person.”
    —Ray Tierney (13:49)

  • STR DNA (the standard) requires whole hairs with roots; this case's samples were much more degraded.
• Legal Battle:
  • Defense called the method “magic” and “junk science”, arguing it’s not peer-reviewed or widely accepted, and has never been admitted in New York State before (15:06–15:24).
  • Prosecution presented scientists with peer-reviewed publications and prior successful use in other states (15:39).
• Judge's Decision:
  • The DNA evidence from whole genome sequencing will be admitted for trial—first time ever in NY State (16:02–16:45).

    “The science was on our side. And that’s why we won.”
    —Prosecutor (16:34)

  • Set a precedent for future cold cases.

    “This is a precedent-setting moment...a game changer.”
    —Ray Tierney (16:53)

• Defense’s Continued Challenge:
  • Filed another motion to disqualify the DNA due to alleged technicality: the lab’s licensing status (17:17).

Next Steps

• The next hearing is scheduled for September 23rd; possible trial date may be announced then (17:53).

---

3. Dateline Roundup: Updates on Major True Crime Stories

Segment begins at 20:16

Burning Man Homicide

• Victim: Vadim Kruglov (Russian visitor), found dead in a pool of blood at the festival (21:10).
• Challenges: Temporary city, party atmosphere, blurry memories, and dissolution of the “Black Rock City” site make investigation difficult (21:48).

Barry Morphew in Colorado

• Background: Suzanne Morphew reported missing Mother’s Day 2020, husband Barry charged, then briefly released when charges were dismissed, but re-indicted after Suzanne’s remains found in 2023 (22:16).
• Current Status:
  • Barry's defense asked for bond reduction from $3 million to $500,000, calling him “an honest person who is genuinely eager to clear his name” (22:53).
  • Suzanne's family, via her brother, called him a flight risk and a "serial psychopathic controller" (23:17).
  • Judge denied bond reduction but loosened conditions slightly (23:28).

University of Idaho Murders—Photos Controversy

• Context: Families of 2022 victims petitioned to block public release of graphic crime scene images (23:56).

  “How incredibly harmful and emotionally damaging it is for her to see images of her son and the other murder victims.”
  —Stacy Chapin’s lawyer (24:34)

• City Response: Legally required to release under Idaho Public Records Act, but expressed reluctance if there were alternatives (25:01).

  “If there were an option...that allowed these records to be fired into orbit into the sun, I think you know in my heart of hearts we would just as soon not release these records.”
  —City Attorney (25:15)

• Judge’s Move: Temporary restraining order on the release; final ruling forthcoming (25:26).

---

4. A Mother’s Road Trip for Justice: Dr. Maggie Zingman

Segment begins at 25:42

Story Highlights

• Background: Maggie Zingman's daughter Brittany was murdered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2004; case remains unsolved after 20 years (26:27).
• The "Caravan to Catch a Killer":
  • On her 24th cross-country tour, driving a pink and purple van emblazoned with Brittany’s images and the campaign slogan—connecting with other cold case families to raise awareness (26:33–27:45).

  “Some people call it crazy, but this has been part of my healing process... focused on connecting to other cold case families and giving them a voice.”
  —Maggie Zingman (26:33)

• Britney’s Story:
  • Britney was a college student who called her mom feeling sick shortly before vanishing; her body was found days later, her murder still unsolved (27:52–28:56).
• Endurance and Hope:
  • Maggie uses advocacy to channel her grief and preserve her daughter's memory, helping and inspiring other grieving families (29:16–30:21).

  “If I crumble and fall apart, then her memory does. And I just can’t let that happen.”
  —Maggie Zingman (29:16) “I’m not gonna let her killer take my life.”
  —Maggie Zingman (30:14)

• Upcoming Appearance:
  • Will be at CrimeCon 25 in Denver to connect with other families and advocates (30:29).

---

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Donna Adelson’s friend explaining the “one-way ticket” to Vietnam:

  “They did buy one way tickets, but they were planning to return...for his bar mitzvah.”
  —Brad Davis (04:27)

• On the whole genome sequencing ruling:

  “...this is a precedent-setting moment...This is a game changer.”
  —Ray Tierney (16:53)

• On persevering as a grieving mom:

  “You learn to live in spite of and because of and in honor of and letting myself grieve.”
  —Maggie Zingman (29:56)

---

6. Timeline of Major Segments

• Donna Adelson trial coverage: 02:15–09:12
• Gilgo Beach DNA ruling: 11:26–18:09
• Roundup (Burning Man, Morphew, Idaho murders): 20:16–25:42
• Maggie Zingman interview: 25:42–31:00

---

Tone & Style

As with all Dateline True Crime Weekly episodes, the tone is empathetic, respectful, and analytical, blending clear, methodical reporting with personal stories and reflections from those directly involved. The interviews amplify the human side of each case, while the roundups succinctly update ongoing investigations.

---

Listeners walk away with a thorough understanding of high-profile and developing true crime stories, the emotional stakes for those involved, and key legal and forensic breakthroughs shaping the pursuit of justice.

Transcript

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[Maggie Zingman]

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[Andrea Canning]

Hey, good morning. It's time for dateline's morning meeting.

[Ray Tierney]

This is really the first time he's appearing in court other than his arraignment.

[Andrea Canning]

Our producers are catching up on breaking crime news. His defense team remains kind of in this holding pattern.

[Maggie Zingman]

Mom gets on the stand on this.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

Trial and then just admits to helping.

[Maggie Zingman]

Her husband commit the murders.

[Andrea Canning]

Welcome to Dateline, True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's September 4th and here's what's on our docket. In Long Island, a judge makes a critical ruling in the case against alleged Gilgo beach serial killer Rex Heuermann.

[Ray Tierney]

This type of DNA has never been admitted in New York State in DATELINE.

[Andrea Canning]

Roundup, we've got the latest on a homicide investigation at the popular arts festival Burning Man. And Barry Morphew is back in court. The husband accused of poisoning his wife with an animal tranquilizer. Once out of jail, his team wrote.

[Sue Simpson]

That Barry, quote, is an honest person who is genuinely eager to clear his name.

[Andrea Canning]

Plus, we'll talk to a mother on an unusual road trip. She's driving cross country to draw attention to her daughter's 20 year old murder.

[Maggie Zingman]

Some people call it crazy, but I always say you have to find a way to learn to live in spite of these losses. And that's how you find the healing.

[Andrea Canning]

But before all that, we're heading back to Tallahassee for the latest in the blockbuster murder trial of a Florida grandmother. The defense of Donna Adelson has begun. Adelson is charged with helping to plan the 2014 murder for hire of Dan Markel, her former son in law. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation. The state put on its case last week arguing that Adelson was deeply involved in the plot. Prosecutors presented evidence. We've talked about on the podcast before, like the wiretapped calls between Donna and her son Charlie and the FBI sting operation known as the Bump. They also presented new evidence we hadn't heard about before, like the fact that she had Markell's car model and license plate number in her planner and made an alleged confession to her bunkmate in jail. Did you ever outright ask her whether she did what she's accused of?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

I did.

[Andrea Canning]

And what did she say to that?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

She said she did it was to keep her grandkids, but it wasn't supposed to go that far.

[Andrea Canning]

The defense fired back this week, putting longtime friends of the Adelsons and forensic and private investigators on the stand. But the big question, would Donna take the stand? DATELINE producer Brad Davis was back in the courtroom and joins us now to tell us how it all unfolded. Hey, Brad.

[Brad Davis]

Hi. Good to see you.

[Andrea Canning]

You too. So who was the first witness the defense called to the stand?

[Brad Davis]

The defense called Anne Cunningham. She's one of Donna's closest friends. And they asked Ms. Cunningham about the day that Dan Markell was shot. And she said that Donna called her and that she was very upset like that Donna was crying, talking about it. This is all sort of presumably trying to make the point that this was hardly the behavior of someone who wanted dan Markell dead. Ms. Cunningham also testified that Donna was especially worried about Wendy, Donna's daughter and her grandchildren, that she worried for their safety since they didn't really know at that point who shot Dan Markell.

[Andrea Canning]

And it continued with the testimony from Anne about how upset Donna was after her son Charlie was convicted.

[Brad Davis]

Yes, he was convicted in 2023 of murdering and planning to murder Dan Markell. Anne Cunningham said that Donna was talking about wanting to get away from it all, to really go in somewhere and clear her head. This goes to the point that when Donna was arrested, she was arrested at the airport in Miami with a one way ticket to Vietn, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. so the prosecution has been pointing to that one way ticket as evidence that Donna was trying to flee after Charlie's conviction. Sort of a consciousness of guilt. And Ann Cunningham, this best friend of Donna's, is offering a different explanation. They did buy one way tickets, but they were planning to return and were actually going to be returning for the younger Adelson grandson, Wendy's younger son, for his bar mitzvah in January 2024, just a few weeks after their flight to Vietnam, so that they would return for that. And Cunningham's partner, Ron Gutterson, was also asked about this, and he basically said the same thing.

[Ray Tierney]

So although they were traveling, they made it clear that they'd be back for the bar mitzvah?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

Yes. Donna had told Annie that she purchased a dress.

[Ray Tierney]

Under any set of circumstances, would they not have returned?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

I don't know. Under normal circumstances, they would move heaven and earth to be there for that traditional occasion.

[Andrea Canning]

Another friend of the Adelsons who testified really backed up this idea of that it wasn't supposed to be just a one way ticket. And he says that he was there when they purchased their ticket.

[Brad Davis]

Yeah, his name is Richard Chagrin, and he describes himself as having a lot of experience with travel. And he was really computer savvy and more so than Donna and Harvey. So the Adelsons called him in and asked him to help them.

[Ray Tierney]

And specifically what were you asked to do?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

Initially, I helped Donna with the visa. And then when we were done applying for the visa, Donna took Susan to show her the dress that she bought, and then she asked Harvey to sit down with me and make plane reservations.

[Ray Tierney]

Okay, when you sat down to make. To assist with the reservations, what did you discover?

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

The ironic thing was that the round trip was a fraction more than one way. And I suggested, since you don't know when you're coming back until sometime in January, you know, book a one way.

[Andrea Canning]

Brad, this is important because this witness is going under oath and saying that it was his idea that to book the one way tickets, not the Adelsons.

[Brad Davis]

Yeah, that's. That's what he was saying. He emphasized in his testimony that there was so much media attention that the Adelsons were sort of barricaded in their condo in Miami and that they, they were afraid to leave the building because of all the media attention. So it was a moment. It's. It's hard to say how the jury is reacting to it all, but it, it did make an impression in court.

[Andrea Canning]

So most of these, these witnesses were essentially character witnesses. You know, people giving the jury a sense of who Donna Adelson, she's like, did you think that they were effective?

[Brad Davis]

It's really hard to say. It's hard to say what this jury's thinking. They're a very young jury, comparatively, but they're taking notes. You know, they seem to be paying attention. So we'll just, we'll have to see.

[Andrea Canning]

So the big question, Brad, did Donna take the stand?

[Brad Davis]

The judge actually gave the. The jury a longer lunch break so that Donna could confer with her attorneys. And ultimately they decided that she would not take the stand. Mrs. Adelson, the question remains as it relates to your right to remain silent and your right to testify, what is.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

Your decision concerning these two rights this time?

[Brad Davis]

I don't want you testify.

[Andrea Canning]

This is obviously a decision she thought a lot about.

[Brad Davis]

Certainly there are always pros and cons to a defendant taking the stand, and this is certainly no exception. She's really the only person who can explain a lot of the things that the prosecution has laid out. She's the only person really who can explain her state of mind in a lot of these wiretaps and these various phone calls, the bump, all these things. There's no one else who can say, what were you thinking? Why did you do this? But then there's the risk of cross examination and she has to have an explanation when the prosecution starts asking their questions. So it's definitely a double edged sword, just like it would in those cases.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. What happens next with the defense, Brad?

[Brad Davis]

The defense finally rested their case and closing arguments were set for Thursday.

[Andrea Canning]

Brad, thank you for being in court and bringing us this big update. We appreciate it.

[Brad Davis]

Great. I'll see you next week.

[Andrea Canning]

Coming up, a judge makes a pivotal ruling in the case of alleged Gilgo beach serial killer Rex Heuerman. And it all comes down to DNA.

[Ashley Flowers]

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[TODAY Show Announcer]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the TODAY show is your best start to the day.

[Andrea Canning]

It's a new season, and here to help you take it all along as.

[TODAY Show Announcer]

The forecast calls for football all across the country, blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

[Andrea Canning]

We're getting back to all of it, and the best way to start is together.

[TODAY Show Announcer]

Watch the TODAY show weekday mornings at 7am on NBC.

[Andrea Canning]

This week, in a Long island courthouse, there was an important pretrial hearing in a case I've been following for more than a decade, the Gilgo beach murders. Since 1993, police have discovered 11 sets of human remains in the Gilgo Beach, Manorville and North Sea areas of Long Island. Some of the bodies were wrapped in burlap sacks. Many of them were sex workers. For years, the case seemingly went nowhere until July 2023, when news broke of an arrest.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

I'm standing here with my law enforcement partners in the Gilgo task force to announce the indictment of defendant Rex Andrew Heuermann.

[Andrea Canning]

Rex Heuermann, a husband, father and successful architect, was subsequently charged with the murders of seven of the victims. He has pleaded not guilty. Not long after Heuermann's arrest, Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney told me that a key part of the case against the architect hinged on DNA allegedly linking him to the bodies. Did you get a match? We did. This is your bingo moment here.

[Brad Davis]

Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

But for the past several months, that DNA analysis has been under fire as Heuerman's defense team has fought to get it thrown out before trial, arguing it is unreliable. On Wednesday, DATELINE producer Mario Garcia and assistant producer Jess Koenig were in the courtroom when the judge made his ruling. They are joining us now from outside of the courthouse. Thank you for joining us.

[Ray Tierney]

Thanks for having us, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

All right. So Mario and Jess, I remember for our DATELINE episode, detectives told us that the remains were basically skeletons from the victim, so there wasn't much forensic evidence they could go on. But they did discover five hairs on those burlap sacks, and they were able to trace those hairs back to Heuerman.

[Ray Tierney]

Yeah, that's right, Angie. They tracked down those hairs and they connected one directly to him and others to his wife and his daughter, who have been ruled out. And it seems like Ray Tierney's office has gone out of their way to prove that they're not connected to any of this. But through some of this DNA. They were allegedly able to determine that he's their man. And this DNA has been at the center of all this ever since.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's get into the arguments over how that DNA analysis was done, which has been at the center of several recent hearings, something called whole genome sequencing. What can you tell us about that?

[Ray Tierney]

You know, obviously DNA is evolving. The science of DNA and, you know, regular, if we can call it regular DNA, reduces down to a percentage a likelihood of a suspect. So they can say in the total population, the likelihood is, you know, 95%. But there could be other possibilities of people that could be a perp. With this new evolving whole genome sequencing, they can say with a much higher degree of certitude, this is the person. It's not a person like this. It's this person. So that's why I think the prosecution was so strident in trying to get this admitted.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. And this whole genome sequencing works on degraded DNA or smaller samples?

[Ray Tierney]

Yes. You can employ this type of testing on a smaller, if you will, qualitatively sample. So for STR DNA, what is kind of the regular standard, you would need a whole hair with a root and have a more robust, richer sample. Um, that was not the case with these hairs. These bodies had been where they were for, you know, almost 15 years. It was a much more degraded sample.

[Andrea Canning]

What's the controversy from the viewpoint of the defense?

[Ray Tierney]

The bottom line, Andrea, is that this type of DNA, this whole genome sequencing DNA, has never been admitted in New York State. So from the get go, the defense went out of their way to try to get it thrown out, calling it magic, calling it junk science, saying that it's not a good enough sample to even be tested.

[Andrea Canning]

Right. And they. The defense argues that this is not widely accepted within the scientific community and it lacks peer reviewed literature. How has the prosecution responded to the defense's claims about this testing?

[Ray Tierney]

Well, the prosecution put up their witnesses, one of whom is the PhD scientist who owns and runs the lab that did the testing in this case and pointed out the numerous publications and he has been published in and pointed out chapter and verse of other cases in other jurisdictions where this DNA has been utilized.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so, Marion, Jess, these hearings have been going on for months now. Wednesday we got the big ruling on all of this. What did the judge decide? So the judge decided that the DNA matches made with the whole genome sequences will be allowed at the trial. Okay, so clearly, huge win for the prosecution. District Attorney Ray Tierney, I know he talked to some reporters after the hearing. I'm sure you guys were part of that gaggle. And he pointed directly at the science in this case.

[Ray Tierney]

He did.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

The reason why we were able to prevail with one simple reason. The science was on our side. And that's why we won.

[Andrea Canning]

This is the first time that this kind of DNA testing will be allowed in court as evidence. And we're talking about New York State.

[Ray Tierney]

We are talking about New York State, Andrea. And it is this is a precedent setting moment with regard to how this kind of DNA evidence can be used in trials moving forward. And there was a question asked. Ray Tierney has five cold cases up on his website right now. You know, this will be this is a game changer.

[Andrea Canning]

How did the defense respond to the judge's ruling?

[Ray Tierney]

Well, interestingly, the defense responded to this judge's ruling on their motion with another motion. They are going back at this specific evidence even though the judge just ruled that it'll be allowed in. And they're kind of doing another end around saying that because in effect, the lab that did the testing isn't licensed in New York State that it should be thrown out on a technicality, if you will.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay. And also, Mario, you and I talked before the hearing about a possible trial date being set, which we thought was maybe going to come but didn't.

[Ray Tierney]

We thought that it may come at this hearing. It was not announced at this hearing, but the Judge has set September 23rd as the next date to deal with everything else relating currently to this case. And so it looks like by the end of September we could have a trial date.

[Mario Garcia or Jess Koenig]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Well, we will stay tuned. And Jess and Mario, we will have you both back to see how this all unfolds for Rex Heuermann. Thank you. Thank you, Andrew. Up next, it's time for DATELINE roundup. We've got updates on the case of the Colorado husband in jail for allegedly murdering his wife and a homicide at the arts festival Burning Man. Plus, a mother's cross country road trip to bring awareness to her daughter's unsolved murder.

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For a first of its kind event and you're invited. Join the entire DATELINE team in Nashville, Tennessee for DATELINE Live. Hear from Lester, Blaine, Andrea, Josh, Keith and Dennis. Plus, live demonstrations, a VIP reception and more. The true crime original like you've never seen before. Buy tickets to DATELINE live [e-mail] event. It would be a crime to miss it.

[Andrea Canning]

Good morning. Welcome to today.

[TODAY Show Announcer]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is your best start to the day.

[Andrea Canning]

It's a new season and every morning.

[TODAY Show Announcer]

We'Re here to help you take it all on. This week, football is back on today. We'll take you inside the NFL season kickoff as Savannah gets fired up in Philly with the super bowl champion Eagles. And from the creators of the Office, the cast of the Paper joins us live. Watch the TODAY show this week on NBC.

[Andrea Canning]

Welcome back. Joining us for this week's roundup is DATELINE producer Sue Simpson. Hey, Sue.

[Sue Simpson]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so first up, sue, we are heading to the Black Rock Desert in northwestern Nevada where a homicide investigation is underway after a man was found dead Saturday night at the popular Burning Man Festival. Tell us a little bit more. First of all about what Burning man is.

[Sue Simpson]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, every summer, Andrea, before Labor Day, tens of thousands of people head to Black Rock Desert for a music and arts festival. You know, I'd call it a festival with an attitude. People trying to be creative, to be fun, a bit outrageous. And they built a temporary city from scratch which they call Black Rock City. The signature event of the festival every year is the burning of a huge wooden effigy of a man.

[Andrea Canning]

So according to law enforcement this year someone at that burn made a gruesome discovery.

[Sue Simpson]

Yeah, that's right. According to a statement from the Pershing County Sheriff's Office, the body of a man was discovered, quote, lying in a pool of blood. When the authorities got there, they said he was obviously deceased. They cordoned off the air and did what they do. They processed the scene, they collected evidence and they also began interviewing festival attendees.

[Andrea Canning]

And on Wednesday, authorities identified the victim as 37 year old Vadim Kruglov, who was visiting the US from Russia. The team behind Burning man released a statement saying that they are cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation gets underway, obviously see a lot of changes. There's a lot of challenges with this one, Sue.

[Sue Simpson]

That's right. Think about this event, thousands of participants, a temporary city, everybody letting loose and having fun. Memories May be very blurry. The festival ended on Monday. Black Rock City essentially vanished by the middle of the week. So, challenges, yes, but we'll be watching this one as it develops.

[Andrea Canning]

Up next, we are heading to Colorado, where a hearing was held this week for Barry Morphew, the man accused of murdering his wife, Suzanne. Sue, remind us about this case.

[Sue Simpson]

Sure. On Mother's Day 2020, Suzanne Morphew was reported missing by a neighbor. Her husband, Mary Morphew, was charged with her murder. But in 2020, two charges against him were dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could refile charges against him. And that is exactly what happened. Suzanne's remains were discovered in 2023, and Barry Morphew was once again charged with his wife's murder.

[Andrea Canning]

So Morphew has yet to enter a plea, but in the past has said that he had nothing to do with his wife's death. He has been behind bars in a Colorado jail ever since he was indicted earlier this summer. And this week, he was back in court. What was the hearing about, Sue?

[Sue Simpson]

Well, his defense team filed a motion to reduce Barry's bond from $3 million to $500,000. And his team wrote in their motion that Barry, quote, is an honest person who is genuinely eager to clear his name so that his former fine reputation can be restored.

[Andrea Canning]

Suzanne's family obviously didn't feel the same. Her brother, David Moorman, filed a victim impact statement with the court. What did he have to say?

[Sue Simpson]

He called him a flight risk and a serial psychopathic controller of all in the realm of his influe. He said that Barry should remain behind bars until a verdict is reached.

[Andrea Canning]

So the judge did not lower the $3 million bond, but modified Morphew's bond conditions, making it slightly easier for him to be bonded out of jail as he awaits trial. Up next, we are heading to Moscow, Idaho, where a hearing was held last week regarding the release of crime scene photos and Videos depicting the 2022 University of Idaho murders committed by Bryan Kohberger. He pleaded guilty earlier this summer to murdering the four students. Sue?

[Sue Simpson]

Yeah. And Andrea, to remind listeners, those four students are Madison Mogan, Ethan Chapin, Zana Kernodle, and Kaylee Gonsalves. It was Madison Mogan's mom and Ethan Chapin's parents and sister who petitioned the court to stop the release of these photos by the city of Moscow. A handful of images and videos have been released by the city. In these photos, they had blurred out the victims bodies and the faces of the surviving roommates and witnesses.

[Andrea Canning]

So two of the four Victims families are clearly upset by this.

[Sue Simpson]

Here's a lawyer for Ethan's mom describing how she feels.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

Your honor has in the record, for example, in the testimony of Stacy Chapin, how incredibly harmful and emotionally damaging it is for her to see images of her son and the other murder victims.

[Sue Simpson]

The lawyer pointed out that the blurring done by the city doesn't completely hide the victims or some of the graphic nature of the scene.

[Andrea Canning]

And what was the city of Moscow's response?

[Sue Simpson]

The city's attorney argued that by law, Moscow is required to release these records because of the Idaho Public Records Act. He did say that if there was a legal option for them not to release the photos, they wouldn't release them.

[Brad Davis]

If there were an option set forth in the statute that allowed these records to be fired into orbit into the sun, I think you know in my heart of hearts we would just as soon not release these records.

[Andrea Canning]

The judge said she would consider both arguments and release an official ruling at a future time. In the meantime, she issued a temporary restraining order on the release of the photos. Lots of information this week. Sue, thank you so much for joining us.

[Sue Simpson]

Thanks for having me.

[Andrea Canning]

Over the years, I've met many parents confronting the unthinkable, the loss of a child who's been murdered or gone missing. And far too often, many of them aren't just grieving. They are also fighting to get answers about what happened to their child. That's something My next guest, Dr. Maggie Zingman, knows a lot about. 20 years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma, her 18 year old daughter Brittany was murdered. Years went by with no arrests. So Maggie decided to drive across the country in a pink van decorated with her daughter's photos to get attention for her case. That was 2007. This summer she's back at it on her 24th tour. She called me recently from the road to tell me why she keeps doing it and how she stays hopeful. Maggie, welcome to the podcast.

[Maggie Zingman]

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

[Andrea Canning]

Of course. Maggie, where have you been so far?

[Maggie Zingman]

This time on my 24th tour, I am traveling to places like Georgia and Tennessee and Virginia and North Carolina, South Carolina, and making my way up through Albuquerque all the way to CrimeCon 25 in Denver. Some people call it crazy, but this has been part of my healing process, not only for me, but especially in the the last dozen or so caravans. They've really been focused on connecting to other cold case families and giving them a voice.

[Andrea Canning]

Describe your car for us, Maggie.

[Maggie Zingman]

It's pink and purple. It has a very subtle Butterfly background on it. And then it has pictures of her right before she was murdered. But mostly it has caravan to catch a killer on the sides and even on the roof so that when truckers go by, they can read it. Because over the years, I find I get an email saying, I saw your car on the highway. And people took the time to look up caravans, catch a killer and find the Facebook or. Now there's, you know, probably at least 250 media stories over the years, local media.

[Andrea Canning]

Can you tell us what exactly happened to Britney and what you know about her murder?

[Maggie Zingman]

Britti had graduated high school, went away to Eckerd College for a year. She got homesick, and she decided she wanted to come home. Then she started going to the junior college. Her brother was also going there. And that Monday night, September 27, she left the school, had called me because she was feeling sick. And so I told her, come up and see me this weekend. We'll find a doctor for you. We'll get it taken care of. On September 28th, I called her. Didn't get any answer. September 29th, I didn't get any answer. September 30th, which was a Thursday, I called and left that typical mom message of, Brittany, I know you're okay, but please, please just call me. Please let me know you're okay. And the next day, October 1st, at 1am I received a knock on the door. And it was like out of a movie. It was crazy. It was storming lightning and this sheriff in this raincoat and stuff, and he said, are you Maggie Zing? And I said, yeah. He said, you need to call Tulsa police. Your daughter's been murdered.

[Andrea Canning]

Maggie, that was more than 20 years ago, and there have been no arrests in the murder of your daughter, which is has to be just so excruciating for you to know that that person is still out there. How do you cope with this perpetual state of limbo that you're in with the not knowing?

[Maggie Zingman]

Well, it does make me angry. It does make me sad. But also, I've learned early on that if I crumble and fall apart, then her memory does. And I just can't let that happen. Because I have really found healing in knowing that in the same way that Brittany would have changed lives because she was studying to be a cancer researcher, that she's now changing lives. And I get that from everybody I meet. They see her face from the car, they learn of her story. You know, these meetings that I'm having with families now, we're all having similar stories, but they're also saying, you know, learning of Brittany and learning of what I'm doing, you know, some of them have done the same and some are just getting the encouragement to do it. So you learn to live in spite of and because of and in honor of and letting myself grieve. You know, every day I walk into my car and I sort of look at her face somewhat through a veil of tears, you know, but because I look at her face every day, I'm not gonna let her kill her take my life.

[Andrea Canning]

And people who wanna talk to you can catch up with you at CrimeCon. You'll be there and eager to meet lots of people.

[Maggie Zingman]

Yes, Crimecon has gifted me with a table this time. CrimeCon is very important for people to come and learn about how families have survived.

[Andrea Canning]

Anyone who's there should definitely come and say hello to you, including our own Josh Mankiewicz. I hope that you, too, bump into each other.

[Maggie Zingman]

I hope so.

[Andrea Canning]

Thank you, Maggie. Thank you.

[Maggie Zingman]

You all have a place in my heart.

[Andrea Canning]

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, I am bringing you an all new episode. When loving mom Angela Craig died after a sudden illness, doctors had no idea what had happened. But a suspicious package at her husband's dental office led to a chain of sinister discoveries. You learned that James Craig is living essentially a double life with other women. Yes, several other women. Watch Secrets of Exam Room 9 this Friday at 10, 9 Central. And a reminder, I'll be in Nashville with the rest of the dateline crew on September 28th for the first ever Dateline Live event. There will be onstage panels, audience Q&As and VIP reception. We'd love to see you there. You can still get [e-mail] event. You can also find a link in the episode description. Thanks for listening. Dateline True Crime Weekly is produced by Katie Ferguson and Carson Cummins. Our associate producer is Caroline Casey. Our senior producer is Liz Brown Kurloff production and fact checking, helped by Terry Dickerson and Georgina DiNardo. 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.

[Lawyer or Court Witness]

See ya.

[Andrea Canning]

Ciao.