A Utah grief author's murder trial. Eyewitness drama in Florida. Plus, Nancy Guthrie and Olivia Lone Bear.

Summary

Dateline: True Crime Weekly – Episode Summary

Episode Title: A Utah grief author's murder trial. Eyewitness drama in Florida. Plus, Nancy Guthrie and Olivia Lone Bear.
Host: Andrea Canning, NBC News
Date: February 26, 2026

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Overview

This episode features Dateline correspondents breaking down the week’s biggest crime stories, including the much-anticipated trial of Corey Richins, a Utah grief author accused of murdering her husband; a dramatic eyewitness confrontation at the Miami trial of former football player Rashawn Jones; and updates on the high-profile murders of Rob and Michelle Reiner, the disappearance of Dee Warner, and the American Idol contestant charged with killing his wife. The episode closes with powerful coverage of missing persons cases, focusing on Nancy Guthrie and Olivia Lone Bear.

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1. Utah Grief Author Corey Richins's Murder Trial

[02:13–11:02]

Case Background

• Corey Richins wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband Eric’s sudden death in 2022.
• A month after promoting the book, she was arrested and charged with his murder; prosecutors say she poisoned him with fentanyl for financial gain. Richins maintains her innocence and pleads not guilty.

Opening Statements

• Prosecution’s Case (Brad Bloodworth):

  • Accuses Corey of intentionally poisoning Eric with fentanyl from her housekeeper, purchased through a drug dealer.
  • Details alleged affair with Josh Grossman:

    “She hands Eric a drink in their bedroom... Corey returns at 3 a.m., feels Eric is cold, unresponsive, stiff, pale, mouth wide open.” (Prosecutor, 04:34)

  • Previous alleged attempt: Corey reportedly laced a sandwich with poison weeks earlier.
  • Motive centers on financial distress:

    “Corey Richards murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life... to perpetuate her façade of privilege, affluence, and success.” (Prosecutor, 05:30)

  • Corey was over $4.5M in debt; Eric’s estate valued at $4M; she took out and attempted to claim multiple insurance policies fraudulently.

• Defense’s Case:

  • Argues there’s not enough evidence Corey gave Eric fentanyl; suggests drugs obtained were oxycodone, not fentanyl.
  • Emphasizes Eric’s past drug use and presence of an empty pill bottle.
  • Suggests Eric’s family’s immediate suspicion of Corey may have influenced the investigation.
  • Optical Illusion Metaphor:

    “The state is going to show you the witch; I’m going to show you a widow. If you can still see both faces, that’s reasonable doubt.” (Andrea Canning recounts, 08:54)

Early Witness Testimony

• Eric’s family testifies he wasn’t a drug user; emotional moments from his sister, Katie Richards Benson.
• Police body cam footage shows Corey’s reaction at the crime scene.
  • Some contradiction between witness statements and video regarding Corey's demeanor.

What’s Next

• More key witnesses to testify, including Corey’s mother and further investigators.
• Trial expected to last five weeks.

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2. Florida Eyewitness Drama: Rashawn Jones Murder Trial

[12:36–19:44]

Case Overview

• Rashawn Jones, former University of Miami football player, stands accused of murdering teammate Brian Pata in 2006, allegedly out of jealousy.
• Prosecution builds motive on Rashawn’s jealousy over Brian’s football success and romantic history.

Evidence and Witnesses

• Cell phone tower data places Jones near the crime scene, but Jones lived nearby and attended the same school.
• No shell casings or direct physical evidence tie Jones to the scene.

Dramatic Eyewitness Testimony

• Star witness Paul Connor, Brian’s neighbor, testifies via 2022 videotape (due to age and memory).
  • Identified Jones in a photo lineup seven months post-murder.
  • Testimony included:

    “I would describe him as a young African American, six feet to six foot, one tall. … For a moment, that brought me face to face with him.” (Paul Connor, 18:14)

  • Under cross-examination, admitted limited visibility that night and compromised eyesight due to diabetes.

Trial Developments

• After the prosecution rested, the defense surprisingly chose not to call any witnesses.
• Closing arguments underway; verdict pending.

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3. Dateline Roundup: High-Profile Crime Stories

[22:08–28:01]

The Rob and Michelle Reiner Murder Case (Los Angeles)

• Nick Reiner, son of the victims, pleads not guilty in arraignment for the December stabbing murders of his parents. Defense attorney Alan Jackson withdrew; Nick waives speedy trial.
• Death penalty under consideration by prosecutors.

Michigan Farmer Dale Warner Charged with Wife's Murder

• Dale Warner accused of killing wife Dee and hiding her body in a fertilizer tank.
• Witnesses detail troubled marriage, Dee’s affair, and evidence of bruises.
• Medical examiner testifies bruising and bleeding occurred while Dee was alive, refuting defense suggestion of postdeath injury.
• Jury actively asks technical questions of witnesses.

"American Idol" Contestant Charged in Spouse’s Death

• Caleb Flynn, former contestant, arrested and charged with wife Ashley’s murder after reporting an alleged intruder killed her; evidence suggests scene was staged.
• 911 call captured his distress:

  “She’s got two shots to her head... blood everywhere. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” (27:12)

• He pleads not guilty.

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4. Missing Persons: Focus on Nancy Guthrie and Olivia Lone Bear

[28:11–35:28]

Nancy Guthrie Disappearance

• Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie (NBC), missing for 24 days.
• Savannah appeals to the public, offering $1M reward and donations to NCMEC:

  “We also know that we are not alone in our loss... we are hoping that the attention that has been given to our mom and our family will extend to all families like ours.” (Savannah Guthrie, 28:58)

Olivia Lone Bear Case

• 32-year-old Indigenous mother went missing in 2017; found nine months later in a submerged pickup on the Fort Berthold reservation, thanks to advocate Lyssa Yellowbird Chase.
• Olivia discovered buckled in the passenger seat; cause of death ruled "undetermined" despite strong suspicions of homicide.
• Lyssa describes systemic failures in investigating missing Indigenous women:

  “You got first responders that may minimize the situation... situations that could have been a potential homicide, overlooked, disregarded, and just not given any attention to.” (Lyssa Yellowbird Chase, 32:11)

• Lyssa urges FBI and tribal police for more active investigations.
• The FBI continues offering a $10,000 reward.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Corey Richins on defending herself:

  “I’m anxious. I’m anxious to prove my innocence. I’m anxious to get trial, and I’m ready to get this one heck of a fight.” (Corey Richins, exclusive jail recording, 02:57)

• On prosecution’s powerful visual metaphor:

  “If you can still see both faces, that's reasonable doubt.” (08:54)

• Lyssa Yellowbird Chase on Olivia Lone Bear’s case:

  “I think they [FBI] just need to get up and get busy and really do the work.” (34:53) “Olivia and her children still deserve some type of justice.” (35:12)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Corey Richins Utah murder trial | 02:13–11:02 | | Miami football trial & eyewitness testimony | 12:36–19:44 | | LA Reiner murders & Michigan Warner trial | 22:08–28:01 | | Missing persons – Guthrie & Lone Bear | 28:11–35:28 |

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Tone & Style

The tone throughout is empathetic, urgent, and investigative, with sharp legal and forensic insights, emotional family testimony, and reporter-driven analysis. The hosts and guests balance respect for victims' families with clear, accessible legal explanation.

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For Listeners

This summary covers all major stories and developments discussed in the episode, providing a concise yet thorough walkthrough for true crime followers, Dateline fans, and advocates for missing persons. For further info or to provide tips on any of the missing persons cases, the podcast provides the FBI tip line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

Transcript

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[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Good morning.

[Andrea Canning]

Hey, good morning. You're listening to the DATELINE story meeting.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

I'm here. We can get started.

[Andrea Canning]

Our producers are swapping tips and story ideas.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Explain a little bit more about the evidence. Case file. The killer was a local drug dealer

[Andrea Canning]

who wanted to make nice with the witch doctor. I really believe that he's innocent. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's February 26th, and here's what's on our docket. In Miami, a jury hears unusual testimony at the trial of a former college football player accused of murdering his teammate.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

They decided to have him testify on videotape just in case something happened to him.

[Andrea Canning]

In DATELINE Roundup, the son and alleged killer of slain Hollywood director Rob Reiner appears in court. And a former American Idol contestant is accused of murder.

[Veronica Mazeka]

He was a golden ticket winner. He described himself as a music pastor who absolutely loves to sing.

[Andrea Canning]

Plus, after Savannah Guthrie calls for more attention to be paid to the families of the missing, we bring you the case of a young mother I've never been able to forget.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

In the end, Olivia and her children still deserve some type of justice.

[Andrea Canning]

But before all that, we're heading to Utah, where the highly anticipated murder trial of mom of three Corey Richins is finally underway. Corey Richins first made news in April 2023 when she appeared on a local ABC4 morning show, Good Things Utah, to promot a children's book she wrote about grief after her husband Eric died suddenly the year before. My kids and I kind of wrote

[Veronica Mazeka]

this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced last year

[Andrea Canning]

and, you know, hoping that it can kind of help other kids. A month later, she was arrested and charged with her husband's murder. Prosecutors say Richins poisoned her husband Eric with fentanyl so she could cash in on his life insurance. Richards has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her. And as she told DATELINE in an exclusive recording she made from jail back in 2024, she's been eagerly awaiting the chance to defend herself. I'm anxious. I'm anxious to prove my innocence. I'm anxious to get trial, and I'm ready to get this one heck of a fight. That time has finally come. Richen's trial began Monday in the Summit County Courthouse in Park City, Utah. DATELINE producer Karen Israel was there and is joining us to give us all the details. Hey, Karen.

[Karen Israel]

Hi, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

And I know that you're a little under the weather and it didn't help that you had to wait hours to get into the courtroom, right?

[Veronica Mazeka]

No.

[Karen Israel]

And I apologize for my voice. So, yeah, there's been a lot of anticipation for this trial and especially on day one, there were spectators lined up well before 6am to get seats in the courtroom.

[Andrea Canning]

The trial began with opening statements. The prosecution went first. And Karen, you and I, we've been on this story for a while. We've learned pieces of their case over the past few years. What exactly did they share on Monday in their openings?

[Karen Israel]

So the state is accusing Corey of intentionally poisoning Eric with fentanyl. And the attorney for the state, Brad Bloodworth, began by giving the jury a dramatic play by play of what the prosecution alleges happened that night, starting with Corey texting the man that she was having an affair with. Love you. And then handing Eric a drink in their bedroom.

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

He drinks on the bed. She departs the bedroom. Corey Richards returns to the bedroom at about 3:00 clock a.m. she feels that Eric is cold. She nudges him. He does not respond. She sees that he is stiff and pale. His mouth is wide open.

[Karen Israel]

The prosecution told the jury this wasn't the first time Corey had attempted to murder Eric, that she'd allegedly laced a sandwich with poison a couple of weeks earlier on Valentine's Day.

[Andrea Canning]

Did the prosecution offer a theory about how Corey got her hands on the fentanyl?

[Karen Israel]

Yes. So the prosecution told the jury that Corey got the fentanyl from her housekeeper, who had bought the fentanyl from a drug dealer. That housekeeper is expected to be a key prosecution witness.

[Andrea Canning]

The prosecution talked about the possible motive for these alleged crimes, which, of course, money is at the center.

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

The evidence will prove that Corey Richards murdered Eric for his money and to get a fresh start at life. More than anything, she wanted his money to perpetuate her facade. A privilege, affluence and success.

[Karen Israel]

Eric Richins was well off. His estate was worth over $4 million when he died, according to the prosecution. Corey, on the other hand, was in financial trouble. She was allegedly over $4.5 million in debt. What the prosecution is arguing is that not only did Corey believe she was set to inherit Eric's business, but also other assets and various life insurance payouts.

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

Weeks before attempting to murder Eric Richards, Corey Richards took out an insurance policy by fraud and forgery on Eric's life. And two weeks after Eric died, she submitted a fraudulent claim on yet another insurance policy. And she believed that she would benefit from nearly $2 million in insurance on

[Andrea Canning]

Eric's life and the fresh start part of the alleged motive. Does that tie back to this man she's having the affair with?

[Karen Israel]

It does. So the prosecution told the jury about Cory's paramour, a man named Robert Josh Grossman. The prosecution says Internet history and text messages will show they were having a full blown affair and that Corey wanted to be with Josh, not Eric.

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

Eleven days before the charged murder, Corey Richards text messaged Josh Grossman. I do want a future together. If he could just go away and you could just be here, life would be so perfect.

[Andrea Canning]

Karen Then it was the defense's turn. What did they hit on? In their opening statement, the defense argues

[Karen Israel]

there's simply not enough evidence to prove that Cory gave Eric fentanyl and caused his death. The defense attorney said the drugs Corey got from the housekeeper were oxycodone, not fentanyl. And so the fentanyl that killed Eric couldn't be connected to Corey. An important point to emphasize. Andrea, the defense isn't disputing that Eric died of fentanyl poisoning, but they're saying there's reasonable doubt about how he ingested it. The defense argued that Eric had consumed drugs before, mainly weed gummies, but there was an empty pill bottle by his bedside, too.

[Andrea Canning]

Corey's attorney made a lot of references to Eric Richen's family members and their involvement in the investigation. Where were they going with.

[Karen Israel]

That's right. So Corey's attorneys say Eric's family was pointing the finger at Corey immediately. They're suggesting that the family's hostility towards Corey maybe somehow contaminated the investigation.

[Andrea Canning]

Corey's attorney finished off her opening statement with an interesting image. Tell us about that.

[Karen Israel]

Yes. So she shared on the screen an optical illusion that went viral a while Back. Some of our listeners have probably seen this. It's a drawing that, from one angle, looks like a young woman. And if you look at it differently from another angle, it looks like an older woman.

[Andrea Canning]

So look at this picture of a young woman in a fur coat. See it? Now look again. You see a witch. There's gonna be times in this case where the state is gonna show you the witch and I'm gonna show you a widow. At the end of the trial, if you can still see both faces, that's reasonable doubt. So fascinating. Once Karen, the opening statements were done, the prosecution started right away to call their first witnesses. And among those first witnesses, Eric's family.

[Karen Israel]

Yeah, so they started with Eric's dad, followed by his sister, Katie Richards. Benson, who got pretty emotional talking about her brother.

[Andrea Canning]

Eric was one of the most likable people. I'm sorry, guys. Kayla.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Sorry.

[Andrea Canning]

I'm trying so hard.

[Karen Israel]

Eric's sister told the jury that Eric was not a drug user, as the defense had implied. They were raised to be aware of the dangers of drugs.

[Andrea Canning]

The prosecution also showed jurors some body cam footage from a police officer who responded to Corey's 911 call. And what's interesting, Karen, is that you see Corey in her pajamas. She's very emotional. God, oh, my God.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Oh, my God.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, my God. But then you also see Katie arrive with her husband.

[Karen Israel]

This body cam video was so interesting because Katie mentioned in her direct examination she told the prosecutor that Cory didn't really console her when she was so upset. But in this clip, you could see Cory did embrace Katie at one point. So it felt like a contrast to what we had just heard Katie say.

[Andrea Canning]

Who else do we expect the prosecution to call to the stand?

[Karen Israel]

We know that Corey's mom is on the witness list as a prosecution witness. There'll be more first responders and investigators.

[Andrea Canning]

And the trial's going to be quite long.

[Karen Israel]

Yeah, it's expected to last five weeks.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay. And we know you've got it covered. Karen, thank you for getting there early and waiting in line in the cold and bringing us all the updates from the trial.

[Karen Israel]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

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No purchase necessary. BGW Group Void. We're prohibited by law. CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. For our next story, we're back at the Miami Dade County Courthouse. It's week two in the murder trial of Rashawn Jones, a former University of Miami football player. Prosecutors say nearly 20 years ago, Jones was so consumed by jealousy of his more successful teammate, Brian Pata, that he ambushed him in the parking lot of Brian's off campus apartment and shot him dead. Brian's roommate found his body and called 911. Somebody got shot. The guy's on the ground. I don't know where he's bleeding from, but he's on the ground. Okay. And you can just stay with me on the line. Did you see what happened? No, I did not see what happened.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Mr.

[Andrea Canning]

But according to prosecutors, someone did see something that night. They say one of Brian's neighbors heard what sounded like a gunshot and then saw a man walking briskly past him, a man he later identified as Rashawn Jones. On Monday, the jury got to hear from that eyewitness, only he didn't show up in person because of his age and failing memory. The jury watched a video recording of his testimony instead. Here to walk us through what happened and how the defense is pushing back on all of this is DATELINE producer Jay Young, who has been in the courtroom. Jay, thanks for being here.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Thanks for Having me, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

So, Jay, we should just start this off by saying that Rashawn Jones has pleaded not guilty. He says he was never jealous of Brian, certainly not jealous enough to kill him. What evidence has the prosecution presented so far to try to prove Jones's state of mind at the time of the murder?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Well, prosecutors are saying that Rashawn was both envious and jealous of Brian. Brian was a shooting star at the time of the murder. He had everything going for him. And there's a huge talent on the football field destined for the NFL. Rashawn, on the other hand, was suspended right before the murder for having tested positive for marijuana use. So, yeah, his. His future wasn't nearly as bright as Brian's was. And then there was Brian's girlfriend, Jada Brody. Apparently, she had had a relationship with Rashawn before she met Bryant. Prosecutors have been trying to hammer home that that, too, was a source of tension. And then prosecutors have spent a lot of time presenting evidence of a fight between Rashawn and Brian two years before the murder. Brian punched Rashawn, and Rashawn responded, you better clip up. Which Brian understood to mean, you better get your guns.

[Andrea Canning]

Did anything happen closer to the time of the murder?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Well, that's interesting. You know, not really, except for this. Once it was announced that Brian was shot and killed, the team gathered, and it was, according to some, a mandatory meeting. The only person not there, Rashawn Jones.

[Andrea Canning]

So beyond this idea that Rashawn may have been jealous of Brian, is there any physical evidence connecting him to the crime?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

The answer to that question is no, not really. I mean, there were no shell casings found at the crime scene. What they did know there was close to his body. You could see his keys were left at the crime scene. Also, there was roughly $900 in his wallet. So they did know that it likely was not a robbery.

[Andrea Canning]

But beyond that, yeah, that's a lot of money.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

That's a lot of money. Finally, the state presented cell phone tower evidence that put Rashawn very close to the crime scene at the time of the murder. Now the defense is going to argue, well, that Rashawn lived close to the crime scene.

[Andrea Canning]

I was just going to say they went to the same school. They were on the same team.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

That's right. That's right. So we'll see how that plays out.

[Andrea Canning]

So we talked Jay off the top about this eyewitness, the state star witness who testified through a video recording. What do we know about him?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Well, this was really interesting. This is a man who actually Lived in the apartment complex with Brian Pata. And on the day of the shooting, as he was walking home, he said he heard a pop, and then he saw somebody walking briskly past him. Didn't mean much to this person, Paul Connor. But later, when he heard reports of the shooting, he realized he should call the police, and the police had him do a sketch. Seven months later, police called him in again and asked him to try to identify the person that he saw in a photo lineup. And he did. And it turns out that the person he identified in that photo lineup was Rashawn Jones.

[Andrea Canning]

So that was in 2007. Years passed. A new detective got the case, and Rashawn Jones was arrested. By that point, Paul Conner was in his late 70s, and prosecutors did something unusual.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

So what they did is they decided to, in a pretrial hearing, have him testify on videotape just in case something happened to him. It's called perpetuated testimony. And as far as the prosecution is concerned, they're glad they did, because soon after testifying, Paul Connor vanished and they suspected he had died. Ultimately, investigative journalists at espn, they were able to find Paul Connor and get him to do an interview.

[Andrea Canning]

What did he tell the reporters, Jay?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Well, he basically told him that he didn't remember much and he sounded very unsure of himself. In the end, the judge ruled that Mr. Connor was not able to testify. She allowed Paul Connor's 2022 videotape statement to be played before the jury in this trial.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's listen to some of that testimony. How would you describe the person that you saw, Mr. Connor?

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

I would describe him as a young African American, six feet to six foot, one tall.

[Andrea Canning]

Were you able to make eye contact with him? Yes.

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

In order to enter the parking lot, I had to turn left, and for a moment, that brought me face to face with him.

[Andrea Canning]

After you passed by him, Mr. Connor, what did you notice about the man

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

in his station before he smiled at me?

[Andrea Canning]

Since the judge ruled Connor was too incompetent to testify in person, the defense didn't get to cross examine Paul Connor in front of this jury. But what the jury did get to hear this week was a defense attorney challenging Connor at that 2022 videotape testimony. And they got him to admit some things?

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

You bet. They got him to admit that it was, in fact, dark that night. They also got him to admit that he had type 2 diabetes, and that did compromise his eyesight. And there was a question as to whether he was wearing glasses when he saw that person walk past him. If you were wearing your glasses, do you think you would have had a better look?

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

Yes.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

So all those things could potentially raise a little doubt about the credibility or at least the believability of this particular witness.

[Andrea Canning]

All right, Jay, thank you very much. This is a riveting case.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Thank you, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

We have a quick update for you about this trial. On Wednesday afternoon, after I taped my conversation with Jay, the prosecution wrapped up its case. And then the defense did something surprising. They rested without calling a single witness. Closing arguments quickly got underway. We'll bring you all those details and what the jury had to say next week. Up next, it's time for DATELINE Roundup updates from the courtroom on the double homicide of Rob and Michelle Reiner and the trial of Dale Warner, the Michigan farmer accused of murdering his wife and concealing her body in a fertilizer tank. Plus the case of a mom of five who went missing that I've never been able to shake. Adobe Acrobat Studio, your new foundation. Use PDF spaces to generate a presentation.

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[Andrea Canning]

Welcome back. Joining us for this week's roundup is DATELINE digital producer Veronica Mazeka. Hey, Veronica.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

For our first story, we're heading to LA where Nick Reiner, the son of legendary Hollywood producer Rob Reiner and photographer Michelle Reiner appeared in court on Monday. He has been accused of stabbing both of his parents to death in their bed in December. It was an appalling crime that stunned the country. Tell us what happened in court this week.

[Veronica Mazeka]

So this was Nick's arraignment. That is usually when a defendant formally hears the charges against them and enters a plea. Nick's arraignment was originally scheduled for early January, but his previous defense attorney, Alan Jackson, who you know, Andrea, from the Karen Reed case, withdrew at the last minute. So the hearing got pushed to this week.

[Andrea Canning]

So walk us through this latest hearing.

[Veronica Mazeka]

According to our producer in court, Nick walked in wearing a jumpsuit with a buzz cut and a scruffy beard. He talked to his public defender and then he slumped over when he got into the glass box where defendants go. During the hearing, he waived his right to a speedy trial and pleaded not guilty to the two murder counts he's facing.

[Andrea Canning]

After the arraignment, LA District Attorney Nathan Hockman spoke to the press. What did he say?

[Veronica Mazeka]

He said the case is on track. They are waiting on a coroner's report, but the majority of discovery has been turned over to the defense. He said that the prosecutors are considering whether to pursue the death penalty.

[Andrea Canning]

In this case, though we will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances. And we have invited defense counsel to present to us both in writing and orally in a meeting, any arguments that they would like to make in consideration for our going forward or not going forward with the death penalty. How are Rob and Michelle's other children, Nick's siblings, handling these new developments? I mean, this whole thing, our hearts just go out to them.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Nick's sister and brother have not attended any of the hearings. Back in January, they did issue a statement through a family spokesperson saying that they have the utmost trust in the legal process.

[Andrea Canning]

Nick's next hearing is scheduled for April, and we will, of course, update you with anything we hear before that. Next we're heading to Lenaway County, Michigan, where the murder trial of farmer Dale Warner, which we told you about last week, is still underway. Veronica, remind us of what happened there.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Dale is accused of murdering his wife Dee back in 2021 and hiding her body in a fertilizer tank on his farm. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and tampering with ev.

[Andrea Canning]

What's unfolded in the courtroom since last week?

[Veronica Mazeka]

The prosecutors painted the portrait of a troubled marriage. Dee's former nanny and personal assistant, Madison Wolf, testified that Dee started talking about divorce Three years before she disappeared.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you know what the sleeping arrangements

[Prosecutor (Brad Bloodworth)]

were between Dale and Dee?

[Veronica Mazeka]

Yes.

[Andrea Canning]

What were they? Most of the time, Dee slept on

[Veronica Mazeka]

the couch and Dale would sleep in the bedroom. She also said that Dee had an affair. Other people close to Dee, like her massage therapist and one of her employees tested, testified about seeing bruises and marks on her. The prosecution is using that testimony to suggest that the marriage may not have just been unhappy, but possibly physical.

[Andrea Canning]

How did the defense handle all of this?

[Veronica Mazeka]

The defense has leaned heavily into the trouble with marriage, suggesting that the relationship was strained long before she disappeared by arguing that the problems don't equal murder. They are also stressing the fact that none of the witnesses directly saw Dale harm Dee. And the state's evidence is highly circumstantial, and the prosecution has merely interpreted the data to fit the theory that they've developed.

[Andrea Canning]

This is one of those trials where the jury is allowed to ask questions along the way. Was there anything that stuck out to you? What they're curious about?

[Veronica Mazeka]

The jurors have asked for explanations on the more technical parts of the trial. Dr. Patrick Cho, the medical examiner, was asked about whether contusions can form after death, referring to the bruises found on Dee's body. So could they have formed while the body was being moved? Dr. Cho answered, no, that both the bruises and brain bleeding found on Dee could have only happened when she was alive. Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

And we have a few more weeks left with that trial. Finally, we're headed to Tipp City, Ohio, where a former contestant on American Idol has been charged with his wife's murder. Bring us the latest on that case.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Yeah. You might remember seeing Caleb Flynn on season 12 of American Idol. He was a golden ticket winner at the time. He described himself as a music pastor who absolutely loves to sing. He talked a lot about his wife Ashley in his interview for the show.

[Andrea Canning]

I love my wife more than anything. She is very, very pretty.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

Just, oof.

[Andrea Canning]

I love her. What do authorities, Veronica, say happened the day Ashley died?

[Veronica Mazeka]

Caleb called 911 around 2:30am on Feb. 16 about an intruder he said had come into the house and shot his wife in the head. He sounded very distraught.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's take a listen to part of that 911 call. My wife is.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

She's got two shots to her head. Spit blood everywhere. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Andrea Canning]

So what did the police find at the house when they got there?

[Veronica Mazeka]

According to the police report, Ashley was found dead from gunshot wounds in her bed. There were two shell casings on the floor. The Officers also observed that the side garage door was open, but there was a refrigerator in front of the door that would have needed to be pushed away for it to be open. The officers also determined that the children were asleep when the shooting happened. This led police to the conclusion that there was no intruder and Caleb had actually shot his wife and then tried to stop stage the scene as a break in.

[Andrea Canning]

Caleb was arrested and on Friday he was charged with Ashley's murder, felony assault, and tampering with evidence. Did he enter a plea?

[Veronica Mazeka]

He pleaded not guilty and is denying everything.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, thank you for these updates.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Veronica, thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

For our next story, we're shifting gears to a story that's close to all of us here at NBC News. The disappearance of 84 year old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of our friend and colleague Savannah. Investigators say they continue to work all viable leads. And on Tuesday morning, Savannah posted a new video message.

[Narrator/Announcer]

It is day 24 since our mom was taken in the dark of night from her bed. And every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony since then.

[Andrea Canning]

Savannah thanked people for their prayers and announced that the family is offering a $1 million reward for information that helps bring Nancy home. And she also said this.

[Narrator/Announcer]

We also know that we are not alone in our loss. We know there are millions of families that have suffered with this kind of loss uncertainty. And for that reason, today we also are donating $500,000 to the national center for Missing and Exploited Children for their work and helping families who are coping with loss and actively looking for those who are lost. We are hoping that the attention that has been given to our mom and our family will extend to all the families like ours who are in need and need prayers and need support.

[Andrea Canning]

Bringing attention to cases of the missing is something we feel very strongly about here at dateline. Twelve years ago, we started our series Missing in America. Since then, we have published hundreds of digital articles and produced more than a dozen podcast episodes spotlighting cases of people who have gone missing. One of those cases was Olivia Lone Bear. Olivia went missing on the night of October 24, 2017. She was a 32 year old mother of five. She was living on the Fort Bertold Indian Reservation in Newtown. She was last seen leaving a local sports bar in her teal Chevy pickup truck. Her daughter, Hailey Abramson, told us that the family knew instantly that something was wrong.

[Veronica Mazeka]

We had met with some detectives and they kind of just, just tried to

[Andrea Canning]

convince me that she was, she was fine, that she had gone somewhere and she'd be back. But we didn't really believe it. Olivia's loved ones did all they could to get attention for her case. They held candlelight vigils, distributed flyers, and searched tirelessly for her. Her brother Matthew spoke to the news program Democracy Now.

[Producer/Reporter (Jay Young or similar)]

We do still need water support. We do need people on the ground, definitely, because the Fort Berthold Reservation is over a million or just about a million acres, so that's a lot of ground to cover.

[Andrea Canning]

They also turned to Lissa Yellowbird Chase, an advocate who has dedicated her life to finding missing people in indigenous communities. Through her volunteer coalition, Saunders Scouts, she organized search efforts and brought trained dogs to help cover areas that hadn't been thoroughly explored. And in July 2018, nine months after Olivia disappeared, Lyssa found her. Olivia's body was inside of a pickup truck submerged in Lake Sakakawea on her reservation. Lyssa is joining us now to tell us more about that search. Lyssa, welcome to the podcast.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

It's so good to hear your voice.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

You, too. It's been a while.

[Andrea Canning]

It's been a while. Yeah. Well, I mean, I think about you and Olivia's case all the time. As I said, it's one of those cases that I can't shake, and I'm sort of angry that it hasn't been solved because for whatever reason, I have it in my brain that it's solvable. Something that many people may not realize about the missing is that, like Olivia, a disproportionate number of cases involved involve indigenous women. Why are they suffering like this?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

I think it's a lot to do with systemic ills that happen in our communities. You got first responders that, you know, may minimize the situation. One of the recent things we've discovered here in North Dakota is when it comes to the investigations, we've had situations that could have been a potential homicide, overlooked, disregarded, and just not given any attention to.

[Andrea Canning]

Lyssa, you were the first person to tell me about Olivia.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

How did you get onto Olivia's case in the first place?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

I actually got a phone call from her cousin Matt, who was the person who organized, you know, the big search efforts for Olivia in the very beginning. I remember her father said, you know, I heard that you're the best. And I said, I can't say I'm the best at anything, but I can tell you I'll do my best.

[Andrea Canning]

Of course, you were really incredible how you, you know, took out, got a boat and bought some old sonar equipment and ended up finding her in this lake.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

We had visited that spot before. Unfortunately, by the time we got to it during, you know, the. The initial search, it had frozen over, and we didn't have access. So I knew I was coming back to look for her in that area. And it didn't take long.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, it was pretty quick. So remind me. We don't know too much about what happened to Olivia. Her cause of death was ruled undetermined. After an autopsy, there were no obvious injuries. You believe this was a murder, and correct me if I'm wrong, was she not found in the passenger seat of the pickup truck?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Yes, she was.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so how was the undetermined if, like, someone can't drive themselves into a lake in the passenger seat while they're buckled in? While they're buckled in. So, I mean, it's either murder or someone had an accident and left her there. I mean, there's not a whole lot of options there. But you truly believe this was murder?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Oh, yes, definitely.

[Andrea Canning]

And so it's been over eight years since Olivia went missing, and we don't have an arrest. And even the FBI has gotten on board, right?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Well, the FBI was on board from the very beginning because if it's a homicide, then this is a major crime which falls under their jurisdiction. So they did interview me, but everything kind of went to a standstill. And then a few years back, I did inquire with the FBI, and I gave them some information.

[Andrea Canning]

Do you have a message for the FBI or for tribal police about what they could be doing?

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

I think they just need to get up and get busy and really do the work.

[Andrea Canning]

And we should say. Lyssa, we did reach out to the FBI. They told us they continue to diligently investigate Olivia's disappearance and death, and they're offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

I mean, in the end, Olivia and her children still deserve some type of justice.

[Andrea Canning]

Lyssa, thank you for all your work. You are just tireless with your efforts for all these families and for the people who don't have a voice anymore.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

If you have any tips or information you want to share about the Olivia lone Bear or Nancy Guthrie cases, you can call the FBI at 1-800- call FBI. That's 1-800-225-5324. We will post that number in the episode description. We're thinking about all the families out there who are missing loved ones, and especially our friend and colleague, Savannah. That is it for this episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly. Coming up this Friday on NBC. The Winter Olympics are over and we have an all new episode of Dateline. When a loving father suspiciously dies, his family's decade long fight for justice begins with a most unlikely piece of evidence. A hairbrush. Put the hairbrush in the bag. Don't tell anybody you have it. You basically have a detective mind at this point. No, I just watch Dateline. Watch Blaine's episode Malice this Friday at 9, 8 Central on NBC. 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. Kurloff production and fact checking help by Audrey Abrahams. Veronica Mazeka is our digital producer. Rick Kwan is our sound designer. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Kuhl is senior executive producer of Dateline. Thanks everybody.

[Lyssa Yellowbird Chase]

Have a great day.

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