The search for Nancy Guthrie. Drama in a Georgia courthouse. And an ice skating scandal.

Summary

Dateline: True Crime Weekly

Episode: The search for Nancy Guthrie. Drama in a Georgia courthouse. And an ice skating scandal.
Host: Andrea Canning, NBC News
Date: February 12, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly brings listeners inside three gripping crime stories making headlines: the high-profile abduction of Nancy Guthrie, dramatic courtroom moments in the 25-year-old murder case of law student Tara Baker, and a look back at the infamous Nancy Kerrigan ice skating attack. Led by Andrea Canning, the show features expert reporting, emotional interviews, and sharp analysis of the week’s most compelling true crime cases, with insights from NBC’s Tom Winter, producer Dorothy Newell, and special figure skating contributor Philip Hirsch.

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The Search for Nancy Guthrie

[01:32 – 10:49]

Key Discussion Points

• Timeline of Disappearance

  • Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, was dropped off at her Tucson home around 9:45pm on Saturday night (Feb 1).
  • At 1:47am, surveillance video captures a masked, armed man outside Nancy’s door.
  • Her pacemaker’s signal, which reports to her phone, stops communicating at 2:28am, indicating she was removed from the home around that time.
  • Sunday morning, her family notices she misses a routine online church gathering — when they check her house, they find medication, wallet, and phone left behind, and blood on the doorstep. Police are called immediately; homicide detectives dispatched from the start.

    “There were certain things… that just didn’t seem right— indications this could be the site of a crime.”
    — Tom Winter, 04:19

• Surveillance Video and Evidence

  • The FBI obtains and releases video despite initial claims it wasn’t saved due to a lack of subscription. Google (Nest) works with the FBI to recover footage.
  • The video shows a man with his head down, light mask, gloves, a large full backpack, and an external holster with a gun. Some say facial hair is visible around the mask.

    “You see this gun that’s carried in a… holster. Externally, it appears that it would be set up if somebody was a right-handed shot… The backpack is very large, and one of the things that sticks out—just how full that backpack is.”
    — Tom Winter, 07:22–08:12

• Ransom Notes

  • Several notes received by TV stations and TMZ, demanding cryptocurrency for Nancy’s return and referencing her white Apple Watch and home floodlights.
  • Authorities question the credibility of the notes, emphasizing demands for proof of life have gone unmet.

• Break in the Case

  • Shortly after the video is public, a man is taken in for questioning; his phone is kept, his home searched with a warrant, but he is released and not charged.

    “Some of those things are easily explained and they might not actually point towards the crime.”
    — Tom Winter, 08:53

• Ongoing Investigation

  • FBI and agents combing the area, seeking and reviewing additional surveillance footage, working to determine how many people may have been involved and the motive.
  • Public urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov with information.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You feel almost like you know Nancy, you’re rooting for her—even for people who haven’t met her. It’s like the whole country has come together for Savannah’s mom.”
  — Andrea Canning, 09:59

• “It’s all about getting information out. And certainly we gotta hold out hope for Nancy.”
  — Tom Winter, 10:35

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Georgia Courthouse Drama: Tara Baker Case

[12:45 – 20:53]

Key Discussion Points

• Case Recap

  • Tara Baker, 23, a University of Georgia first-year law student, found raped, strangled, stabbed, and left for dead in her burning off-campus home (2001).
  • Early investigation found no forced entry; only her laptop missing.

• Breakthrough After 25 Years

  • New DNA technology in a rape kit leads to Edric Faust, a repeat offender.

    “They got some viable DNA… they got a hit—a repeat offender named Edric Faust. And that was just really out of the blue.”
    — Dorothy Newell, 15:15

• Trial Highlights

  • Prosecution leans heavy on DNA evidence, calling it “1 in 8 trillion” odds it isn’t Faust.
  • The defense does not dispute Faust’s DNA but insists Tara’s boyfriend, Chris Melton, is more suspicious due to also finding his DNA and alleged inconsistencies in his timeline and alibi.

• Emotional Testimony: Chris Melton

  • Chris describes a loving relationship, learning about Tara’s death, and his physical reaction ("I punched a wall 30 times, maybe more").

    "I started having an extreme emotional moment... there was a wall in front of me, and I punched it. I don't know, maybe 30 times, maybe more.”
    — Chris Melton (Mario Garcia), 18:12

  • He cooperated with the investigation throughout, offering repeated interviews and DNA.

• Defense’s Cross-Examination

  • Defense attorney vigorously presses Chris on inconsistencies: Did he see Tara six days or ten days before her murder? He claims time and trauma blurred his memory.

    “There was a time that I was confused. And it was 20 plus years later.”
    — Chris Melton (Mario Garcia), 20:29

• Current Status

  • Prosecution still presenting witnesses; case expected to continue another week.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Why didn’t you cry?... Why didn’t any tears fall out of your eyes?”
  — Defense (Tom Winter) to Chris Melton, 19:22

• “I would find myself on my knees, pounding the ground… just finding myself so mad at God, not understanding how God could allow the devil in his angel’s house.”
  — Chris Melton (Mario Garcia), 18:38

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Dateline Roundup: Case Updates

[22:53 – 29:26]

Key Discussion Points

• Luigi Mangione Case (NYC)

  • Accused of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (Dec 2024); faces charges in state and federal court.
  • Outburst after learning state trial date:

    “It’s the same trial twice! One plus one is two! Double jeopardy, by any common sense!”
    — Luigi Mangione (shouting, paraphrased), 23:39

  • Legal expert clarifies double jeopardy not applicable due to dual sovereignty (state & federal).

• Corey Richens (Utah)

  • Mother, children’s grief book author, on trial for allegedly poisoning husband with fentanyl.
  • Jury selection underway with a notably in-depth, 23-page juror questionnaire.

• Alec Murdoch (South Carolina)

  • Convicted of killing wife & son; defense team argued to Supreme Court for a new trial due to misconduct by court clerk Becky Hill.
  • Hill pleaded guilty to misconduct but denied influencing the jury.
  • Prosecutors say any clerical comments played no substantive role; most jurors reported at previous hearing they weren’t influenced.

    "Murdoch's defense says that Ms. Becky made comments to jurors that could have influenced them to find Murdoch guilty... Prosecution says nine of the jurors told a lower court judge exactly that [they weren't influenced]."
    — Mario Garcia, 28:00–28:56

• Potential Outcomes

  • Even with a new trial, Murdaugh remains imprisoned due to sentences for financial crimes.

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Flashback: The Nancy Kerrigan–Tonya Harding Scandal

[29:30 – 35:15]

Key Discussion Points

• Background

  • In 1994, Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at a Detroit rink; assailant was Shane Stant, as part of a plot instigated by Tonya Harding’s ex-husband and bodyguard.

    “Nancy came through the curtain… and was attacked by somebody using what turned out to be a metal baton. She was whacked on the knee. And the very famous video shows her screaming, ‘Why? Why me?’”
    — Philip Hirsch, 30:57

• Competing Narratives

  • Tonya Harding, a powerhouse skater, stood to benefit from Kerrigan's absence. Harding ultimately barred from sanctioned competitions after admitting to covering up knowledge of the attack.

• Olympics Aftermath

  • Both compete in Lillehammer; Kerrigan, undeterred, wins silver. Harding falters amid scandal, finishes 8th.
  • The incident supercharged public interest in figure skating, spike in ratings, and financial windfall for many involved.

    "The initial reaction was how horrible this was. And then the next two or three years went by. They realized it was making all of them rich."
    — Philip Hirsch, 34:39

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Where was Tonya, really?” — Press banter immediately after attack, 31:33, reflecting instant media suspicion.
• “I wondered why, and thought if I could just ask him, you know... I don't think I could understand anyway...”
  — Nancy Kerrigan (via Jane Pauley interview), 32:21

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Memorable Quotes (with Speakers & Timestamps)

• “You feel almost like you know Nancy… It’s like the whole country has come together for Savannah’s mom.”
  — Andrea Canning, 09:59
• “You see this gun… the backpack is very large, and one of the things that sticks out—just how full that backpack is.”
  — Tom Winter, 07:22–08:12
• “I started having an extreme emotional moment… there was a wall in front of me, and I punched it. I don't know, maybe 30 times, maybe more.”
  — Chris Melton (Mario Garcia), 18:12
• “She was basically kept from skating in any sanctioned competition for the rest of her career.”
  — Philip Hirsch, 34:18

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Segment Timestamps (Highlights)

• [01:32] – Nancy Guthrie case introduction
• [03:28] – Timeline of disappearance clarified
• [04:48] – Ransom notes and public information
• [07:22] – Description of surveillance footage
• [12:45] – Athens, Georgia: Tara Baker case intro
• [17:02] – Chris Melton’s emotional testimony
• [19:14] – Dramatic defense cross-examination
• [22:53] – Dateline Roundup begins (Mangione, Richens, Murdoch cases)
• [29:30] – Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding ice skating scandal
• [30:57] – Hirsch describes the attack on Kerrigan
• [34:18] – Harding’s fate after the scandal

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Tone & Style

The episode is urgent, empathetic, and sharply analytical—the hosts blend investigative detail with emotional resonance, bringing listeners into the tension and humanity of each case.

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For Listeners

Whether you’re following these stories for the first time or craving a deeper, behind-the-scenes update, this episode is packed with law enforcement insights, courtroom drama, and legendary sports intrigue—Dateline’s trademark mix of solid journalism and addictive storytelling.

Transcript

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[Dorothy Newell]

Good morning.

[Andrea Canning]

You're listening to the DATELINE story meeting. We will jump in so we can get started on a busy day. Our producers are catching up on breaking crime news. What's the timeline on things?

[Mario Garcia]

Well, we were supposed to start trial on Monday.

[Andrea Canning]

This is affluence, Money, Greed. Welcome to DATELINE True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's February 12th and here's what's on our docket. Emotions run high in a Georgia courthouse as the boyfriend of a murdered law student takes the stand.

[Mario Garcia]

I would be so angry not understanding how God could allow the devil into his angels house.

[Andrea Canning]

In DATELINE Roundup, Luigi Mangione's outburst in the courtroom and the latest chapter in the saga of Alec Murdoch, the disgraced attorney convicted of murdering his wife and son.

[Mario Garcia]

Murdoch's defense team went before the five justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court to argue why he should get a new trial.

[Andrea Canning]

Plus, remember Olympian ice skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding? We'll be talking to a veteran ice skating reporter about the crime that captured the world's attention. This man was running with this stick just coming down at my leg. But before all that, we wanted to update you on the latest developments in the search for Nancy Guthrie. The 84 year old mother of our colleague and friend said Savannah Nancy Guthrie has been missing from her home in Tucson for more than 10 days. According to the Pima county sheriff, she was abducted in the early morning hours of February 1st. Up until Tuesday, the sheriff said investigators had no suspects or leads in the case. That all changed Tuesday afternoon. As you may have seen the FBI released video captured by Nancy's security camera in the early morning hours of her disappearance. It showed a masked and armed man walking up to her front door. Here to tell us more about what was in the video and what it all means for bringing Nancy home is NBC News national law enforcement and intelligence correspondent Tom Winter. And I should say we're taping this conversation on Wednesday afternoon. Tom, thanks for being here.

[Tom Winter]

Hi, Andrea. Good afternoon.

[Andrea Canning]

I know you've been all over this story and, you know, just personally and professionally, it's a difficult one for you, for all of us. Remind us of the timeline of Nancy's disappearance, and we've learned a lot more about that from law enforcement.

[Tom Winter]

The timeline here has become a little bit more clear. So it's Saturday night, approximately 9:30 9:45 in Tucson, and it's the Guthrie family that drops off Nancy at her home in the greater Tucson area at approximately 1:47am on Sunday morning. There's this moment where somebody is seen on the nest camera on the front door of her home was this extraordinary video that we saw released by the FBI. And then a critical piece of evidence. Apparently Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker had the ability to communicate and give information and reporting kind of real time to her phone. And at Some point around 2:28am they're no longer in connection. And that is what investigators believe is a moment where she is now officially out of the home and away from the home probably a moment or two before that. And so the family is advised that Nancy Guthrie did not join up with her regular group to watch a stream of a mass of a church on Sunday morning. The family gets there and in less than 10 minutes, they realize something is terribly wrong. They pick up the phone, they call police, and the sheriff says, look, we immediately saw some things that just didn't seem right were indications that this could be the site of a crime and as a matter of fact, actually dispatch homicide detectives. Andrea, right from the very beginning.

[Andrea Canning]

Wow. Yeah. Her vital medication was apparently left behind. Wallet, phone. There's her blood on the doorstep. Tom, there have been reports of several ransom notes being received by TV stations and TMZ demanding payment for the safe return of Nancy. You have actually seen a copy of one of the notes. Can you sort through what we know and don't know about them and what you're allowed to share?

[Tom Winter]

Yeah, sure. And so everybody understands the details that we withhold from these notes, really, just because there are certain aspects of the investigation we don't want to kind of tip off whoever they're looking for. But the gist of it is this. They point out the fact that she was wearing a white apple watch. They. They point out the fact that there were floodlights at the home. There's a request for cryptocurrency, and they provide some specific deadlines. Look, the first picture you're gonna find of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie together is she is wearing a white apple watch. That's public information that there's a floodlight at the home. I mean, how many homes in this country don't have floodlights outside or some sort of lighting outside of a home? The thing that people have been focused on are these potential deadlines. But then we saw the Guthrie family, as, you know, start to put videos and saying, look, just reach out to us. We're ready. We're here to talk. But provide us with some form of proof of life. It's our understanding that that hasn't happened. And so, really, authorities are trying to see whether these notes are credible or not. We don't have any additional insight into that so far.

[Andrea Canning]

Right. So you mentioned the surveillance video that was released on Tuesday by the FBI. I feel like it's. It feels like everyone in the country must have seen it at this point. Initially, we were told that Nancy did not have a subscription to, you know, having the video saved, and we were told there may be no footage ever. But that all changed.

[Tom Winter]

It all changed. It was clear that there was a lot of work between Google, which is the parent company of Nest, which was this camera, and the FBI.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, a lot of people hard at work, surely just working around the clock with what we're talking about. At what point did the FBI decide to go public with it? Was it immediately?

[Tom Winter]

Well, the FBI assuredly did not immediately make these images public once they became aware of them. I mean, first off, it's our understanding that the family was briefed on these images, wanted to make sure, see if anybody in the family recognized anybody in the course of this. And then the decision is made to go public because you want to involve the whole country.

[Andrea Canning]

Tom, can you just. For our listeners who are not looking at the video right now. And we will link to the images and the videos in our episode description. But can you just describe exactly what we see on the tape?

[Tom Winter]

Right. Well, you see a couple of different things on the tape. I mean, first off, you see the individual approach. They've got their head down there and almost intentionally looking at the ground light. Want the camera to see their eyes, and this individual approaches. They're kind of fiddling around. You get some real close up images of. Of their gloves. You see this gun that's carried in a. In a holster. Externally, it appears that it would be set up if somebody was a right handed. Right handed shot. And then you see a backpack on them with the kind of reflective tape out front in this light colored mask. But their eyes are very clear. Some people say that around the mouth there might be some facial hair, either a goatee or a mustach or both. And the backpack is very large and one of the things that sticks out. And I'm sure you noticed this, just how full that backpack is.

[Mario Garcia]

Full.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, my gosh.

[Tom Winter]

Full to the seams almost.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. I mean. And very chilling. Very jarring to look at those images. About eight hours after those images were released, we learned that a man had been taken into custody for questioning. What do you know about him? And it sounds like it. That's not really going anywhere, Right. With him.

[Tom Winter]

Right. Well, this person was released. They took his phone, they've kept his phone. They conducted a court authorized search. I think that's notable. You know, as you know that you don't search a home without that, without that court paperwork. But, you know, when you actually conduct those searches and talk to them, you might realize that some of those things are easily explained and they might not actually point towards the crime.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay. And the FBI director released a statement saying they're looking at people and that they have made a lot of progress. What is next? What are the most critical steps, do you think, going forward?

[Tom Winter]

So you're already seeing some activity since this video came out. You're looking at a lot of searches that are occurring on the ground. FBI agents combing through Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood, just, you know, the old fashioned shoe leather or boot leather, whatever you want to say. In this particular instance, they're going from store to store, gas station to gas station, pulling video. All of that's part of the investigation. So they're really kind of humming on that. And that's something that I think will get to the point of identifying. Is this one person? Is it two, three, four people who's involved in this? Why did they do this? It's so obviously nerve wracking for everybody in that community. And just what the Guthrie family has been put through here and our colleague Savannah is just. It's so awful. And I think everybody wants an answer for Nancy. Everybody wants an answer for Savannah and the family just to figure out how did we get here? Why would somebody do something like this?

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. And it's just you feel almost like, you know, Nancy, you know, you're rooting for her, even for people who haven't met her. It's like the whole country has come together for Savannah's mom, which is so wonderful. And if anyone does know anything, you can call 1-800- call FBI. That's 800-225-5324. Or you can visit tips.FBI.gov if you want to leave a tip online. Thank you so much, Tom, for covering this story for the network. You've done such a great and during a difficult time, you're really breaking things down for people. So we appreciate it.

[Tom Winter]

Well, you got it. I'm so glad we had a chance to talk. And it's all about getting information out. And certainly we gotta hold out hope for Nancy.

[Andrea Canning]

We all want that so badly, and our prayers and hearts are with Savannah and her family during this difficult time. Thank you.

[Tom Winter]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

We'll be right back.

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[Andrea Canning]

For our next story, we're heading to the college town of Athens, Georgia, where it's week two in the trial of a man accused of murdering University of Georgia law student Tara Baker 25 years ago. Prosecutors say DNA evidence proves Edric Faast is the killer, but he says he's innocent. And in a blistering cross examination this week, Faust's defense attorney confronted the person he alleges is the real murderer.

[Tom Winter]

Mr. Melton, you have not shed a tear.

[Dorothy Newell]

Come on.

[Mario Garcia]

Now.

[Andrea Canning]

Here to bring us up to speed is DATELINE producer Dorothy Newell, who has been inside the courtroom. Hey, Dorothy.

[Dorothy Newell]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Dorothy, let's start with just a quick recap of the case. Remind us who was Tara Baker and what happened to her in 2001.

[Dorothy Newell]

So Tara was a 23 year old first year law student at the University of Georgia. On January 19, 2001, at about 11:20am Firefighters responded to a fire at Tara's home. She lived off campus. And when they entered, they found Tara's body. She'd been raped, strangled, stabbed and left for dead. And her bedroom was on fire.

[Andrea Canning]

So awful. Dorothy, you and DATELINE field producer Justin Ratchford have spent a lot of time in Athens covering this case. What struck you the most about the location of this crime? I mean, this is a place where parents send their children off to college hoping that they're safe.

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah, that's exactly right. Well, first of all, Athens is like the quintessential college town. There's tons of kids here. They're working, they're playing, they're planning for their future, just like Tara was doing when she was killed.

[Andrea Canning]

She had her whole life in front of her. That's what makes this really hard to hear. So what did investigators learn in those early days as they were investigating this off campus crime?

[Dorothy Newell]

Well, there were certainly indications that this didn't feel like a random attack. There were no signs of forced entry. Nothing was taken except her laptop and she was still wearing her diamond earrings. Investigators looked at various people, a classmate, a lawyer from the law firm where she worked, and Tara's boyfriend, Chris Melton. But police said his alibi checked out and no one else rose to the level of arrest. But evidence was Gathered and organized. And that would become important over the.

[Andrea Canning]

Years, as it so often does in these cases when they go unsolved. Because in this case, 25 years later, investigators finally made an arrest. This was such a long time coming, Dorothy.

[Dorothy Newell]

Oh, that's right. They used new technology to retest the rape kit that was done at the time of the Tara's murder. And they got some viable DNA this time around, when they ran the suspect DNA through codis, that's the National Criminal DNA database, they got a hit, a repeat offender named Edric Fost. And that was just really out of the blue.

[Andrea Canning]

So the prosecution, of course, Dorothy, focused its opening statement on that DNA match, which jurors, they like to hear about DNA.

[Dorothy Newell]

Right. The prosecutor said the chances that the DNA belonged to anyone but FAAST were 1 in 8000-000000-00000.

[Andrea Canning]

Right, but. So, okay, there's an unusual twist. The defense is not disputing this.

[Tom Winter]

How does Mr. Foss DNA simply being in Ms. Baker's body establish that he is the person that killed Ms. Baker?

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah, Defense attorney Amon Cruz agrees that Foss DNA was inside Tara's body, but he's more interested the fact that someone else's DNA was there, too, and it was her boyfriend, Chris.

[Andrea Canning]

So Chris was Tara's boyfriend. As you said, they were intimate, so I would think that would be expected to find his DNA. But the defense says there's more to it, Dorothy.

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah, the defense argued that Chris's alibi was shaky, and he changed his story to the police about when he last saw Tara. And that makes him, according to the defense, deeply suspicious.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so that was the lead up to what happened on day six of the trial when the prosecution called Chris to the stand to tell his story. Take us through his testimony, Dorothy.

[Dorothy Newell]

So the prosecutor asked Chris about his and Tara's relationship.

[Tom Winter]

How was the state of you and.

[Mario Garcia]

Tara's relationship in those months leading up to her murder? Everything was wonderful. We were both in the understanding that we were pursuing future paths for us to have a better future together. Our relationship was strong.

[Dorothy Newell]

He talked about getting the awful news. He was working at a plumbing job and got paged by Tara's mother.

[Mario Garcia]

What did you learn when you called Ms. Virginia Baker? She had told me that there was a fire at Tara's residence and there was a body discovered in the fire.

[Tom Winter]

In that moment, what was your reaction to hearing that information?

[Mario Garcia]

Devastated.

[Andrea Canning]

Chris also talked about how he got so upset he punched a wall.

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah, and that's. That's pretty important to the case. The defense argued that Chris's hands showed cuts and scrapes after the murder, and that could implicate him in the very violent crime. Right. But that first day, police noted nothing on his hands. Later, I think it was like two days later, he told the court he really lost it.

[Mario Garcia]

I started having an extreme emotional moment, and there was a wall in front of me, and I punched it. I don't know, maybe 30 times, maybe more.

[Andrea Canning]

Chris told the jury he cooperated with investigators from the beginning, doing repeated interviews, giving them DNA samples. He said he struggled with his grief in private.

[Mario Garcia]

I would find myself on my knees, pounding the ground, the sand, whatever, just. Just finding myself so mad at God, not understanding how God could allow the devil and his angel's house.

[Andrea Canning]

Dorothy. Then it was the defense's turn to cross examine Chris Melton. This is such a big moment in all of this. He is really the crux of their defense, right?

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah. Right off the bat, things were tense. The defense attorney brought into question Chris's emotions, suggesting they weren't authentic.

[Tom Winter]

Why didn't you cry?

[Mario Garcia]

When?

[Tom Winter]

Just now. Why didn't any tears fall out of your eyes?

[Mario Garcia]

They are falling down.

[Tom Winter]

Well, let's talk about January 19th. Would you agree that today you were.

[Mario Garcia]

Much more emotional than you were on.

[Tom Winter]

The day that you learned of Ms. Baker's death?

[Mario Garcia]

I was holding it together best I could.

[Andrea Canning]

The defense's cross examination was all about timelines. Where was Chris the morning of the murder? Where was he in the days before Tara was killed? And I know we said off the top that, you know, his. His alibi was. Was checked out.

[Dorothy Newell]

Well, there's all kinds of timelines involved here. And there's another timeline that's. So Chris testified that he and Tara had seen each other the weekend before the murder. So a few days before. But the defense brought up something that Chris told investigators in 2024. He said that he hadn't seen Tara for 10 days before her death.

[Tom Winter]

The last time you saw Ms. Baker, was it six days before or 10 days before?

[Mario Garcia]

From the beginning, I said I saw her the weekend prior.

[Tom Winter]

From the beginning, you've said that.

[Mario Garcia]

Yes, sir.

[Tom Winter]

That you've seen her the week. And that has always been what you said.

[Mario Garcia]

There was a time that I was confused.

[Tom Winter]

Mm.

[Mario Garcia]

And it was 20 plus years later.

[Dorothy Newell]

The defense's point is that Chris stories are inconsistent, probably untrue. And his timeline isn't trustworthy.

[Andrea Canning]

So the prosecution. Dorothy's still calling their witnesses. Do we know what's next?

[Dorothy Newell]

Given the many delays, I'm guessing this will go on another week.

[Mario Garcia]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Thank you, Dorothy, for this update.

[Dorothy Newell]

You're welcome. Thanks, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Up next, it's time for DATELINE Roundup. We've got updates on Luigi Mangione and Alec Murdoch. Plus, we look back on a 30 year old ice skating scandal, the attack on Nancy Kerrigan.

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[Andrea Canning]

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[Mario Garcia]

Thanks for having me back, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

So first up, we've got an update out of New York. It's a story you know very well, the case of Luigi Mangione. He is the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson back in December 2024. Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. So what's new? Mario?

[Mario Garcia]

That's right. Andrea Mangioni was back in court this past Friday. And, you know, bear in mind, he's facing criminal charges in both federal and state court. His federal trial and stalking charges is now set for jury selection to begin on September 8th. And with opening Arguments in October.

[Andrea Canning]

So, okay, he found out the date of his state trial, June 8. Whatever happened was not sitting well with him as he was being escorted out of the courtroom.

[Mario Garcia]

Yeah, that was interesting. I've been to several hearings, Andrea, and he's been very active in his defense and talking with his attorneys during hearings. But this was a little bit of excitement. As he was being escorted out, he shouted, it's been reported it's the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy, by any common sense, which was the first time we've seemed to act like that in court.

[Andrea Canning]

What did he mean by that, Mario? In this particular case, by double jeopardy, Because I think when most of us think of double jeopardy, we think if you're acquitted, you can't be tried for the same crime twice.

[Mario Garcia]

Well, you're not supposed to be tried for the same crime twice, as you said, Andrea. And our legal expert Danny Savalos told our friends over at NBC News now that double jeopardy is not likely at play here because the state and the federal government are considered two separate sovereigns. And he's being technically being charged with different crimes in each jurisdiction. So it's definitely a rare situation, I would say.

[Andrea Canning]

So, as we all know, Mario, trial dates move around constantly. So we'll see if these dates hold. Okay, now we're gonna go to a case I know. Well, it's another high profile defendant. She was back in court this week across the country in Salt Lake City, Utah, Corey Richens. Corey is the mom of three who wrote a children's book about grief before she was charged with her husband Eric's murder. Prosecutors say she laced his drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl. Richins denies that, and she has pleaded not guilty. Her trial, I can't believe it, because I feel like I've been on this story for such a long time. It's finally underway.

[Mario Garcia]

It is finally underway. Andrea. Jury selection finally began in the Richten's trial on Tuesday, and many of the potential jurors told the judge that they'd heard of the case but didn't know much detail or have a strong opinion about it.

[Andrea Canning]

There's been a lot of buzz about the questionnaire that the prospective jurors are filling out.

[Mario Garcia]

It's an incredibly rigorous questionnaire, and so now people are looking at that. It's 23 pages long with some 99 questions. Prospective jurors are being asked questions about everything from the TV programs they like to watch, bumper stickers on their cars. Both the prosecution and the defense are trying to weed out anyone, anyone who might have some kind of bias.

[Andrea Canning]

So the jurors will find out next week if they've been selected. All right. We'll keep a close watch on. And it brings us to our main story in Roundup this week. On Wednesday, there was a high stakes hearing at the Supreme Court of South Carolina in the case of Alec Murdoch, the disgraced lawyer convicted of fatally shooting his wife Maggie and their 21 year old son, Paul. Mario, before we get into what's new here, just give a really quick recap of this complicated story.

[Mario Garcia]

Complicated indeed. Andrea Murdoch called police In June of 2021, you might recall, to report finding his wife and son fatally shot when he says he arrived at their home. But Investig investigators didn't buy that. They methodically pieced together cell phone video, vehicle data and witness testimony that placed Murdoch at the scene at the time of the shootings. And he was arrested for those murders. At his trial, prosecutors said he'd killed Maggie and Paul to cover up financial crimes. And the jury convicted him in March of 2023.

[Dorothy Newell]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Murdoch ultimately was sentenced to life in prison and he got a life sentence for each of the murders. So, Mario, tell us what his team is now arguing to the Supreme Court of South Carolina.

[Mario Garcia]

On Wednesday, Murdoch's defense team went before the five justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court to argue why he should get a new trial. And one of their main arguments is that he didn't get a fair trial because of the behavior of someone that had been in the courtroom the whole time, the court clerk.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, this was a lot of drama involving this clerk. Remind people of what happened with her.

[Mario Garcia]

Her name is Becky Hill and I covered the original trial and Ms. Becky was everywhere and had regular contact with the jury as part of their job, getting them into the court, getting them their lunch and everything else. And after the trial, she was actually criminally charged for her behavior during that trial. She denied tampering with the jury in any way, but pleaded guilty to four counts, including misconduct in office. And then she later apologized to the court.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay. What does the defense say Ms. Becky did that specifically violated Murdoch's right to a fair trial?

[Mario Garcia]

Murdoch's defense says that Ms. Becky made comments to jurors that could have influenced them to find Murdoch guilty. For example, they point to remarks she allegedly made, encouraging jurors to watch Alec Murdoch's demeanor closely during testimony or urging them to move deliberations along.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's listen to Murdoch's defense team make their case to the justices on Wednesday. As I stand here Today I'm honored to be arguing about how to interpret that Constitution, the Sixth Amendment specifically. I've never seen a factual pattern like this where the clerk of court sets out to influence the verdict. Mary, what did the prosecutors say in response to this argument?

[Mario Garcia]

Well, not surprising, Andrea, the prosecutors dispute all of this and say any comments by Ms. Becky were limited and did not affect the verdict. In fact, the prosecutors say nine of the jurors told a lower court judge exactly that at a previous hearing.

[Andrea Canning]

And so if the court were to grant Murdaugh a new trial, do we think he stays behind bars?

[Mario Garcia]

Even if that happened, Andrea, he'd still remain in prison because of his lengthy state and federal sentences for his financial crimes. But a ruling in his favor could have much broader implications for how courts handle claims of jury influence moving forward.

[Andrea Canning]

I find this completely fascinating with these appeals. Hard to say when we could have a ruling, right?

[Mario Garcia]

Right. Cases like this could typically take weeks or months.

[Andrea Canning]

Andrea, thank you for all these updates.

[Mario Garcia]

Mario thanks for having me.

[Andrea Canning]

For our final, we're heading to the Winter Olympics. Millions of ice skating fans have been glued to the games this past week watching the gravity defying spins of quad God Ilya Malinin or the fancy footwork of ice dancers Madison Chalk and Evan Bates. It made us think back to two other U.S. olympian ice skaters who made headlines 30 years ago for their skating and also for something that happened off the ice. We are talking, of course, about the afternoon in January 1994 when 24 year old ice skating champion Nancy Kerri was attacked at a Detroit ice rink by a man with a baton. DATELINE interviewed her soon after it happened. This man was running with this stick just coming down at my leg. Philip Hirsch is a Special contributor to NBCOlympics.com focusing on figure skating. Welcome to the show. Philip.

[Philip Hirsch]

My pleasure.

[Andrea Canning]

So let's remind people about Nancy Kerrigan. She was such a big deal in the world of ice skating at the time.

[Philip Hirsch]

So Nancy had something about her. She just had a beautiful, beautiful line on the ice. She was the bronze medalist at the 1992 Winter Olympics and then went on to become US champion in 1993. And she became sort of America's sweetheart.

[Andrea Canning]

Philip Nancy was in Detroit getting ready to compete in the 1994 U.S. national Championship. She had just finished practicing for the day. Take us to that moment where everything changed for her.

[Philip Hirsch]

Well, most of us in the US Media were actually sitting watching the short program of the pairs competition when somebody ran into the press seat area and said Nancy's been attacked Nancy came through the curtain separating the practice rink from the backstage area and was attacked by somebody using what turned out to be a metal baton. She was whacked on the knee. And the very famous video of this shows her screaming, why? Why me?

[Andrea Canning]

Why?

[Philip Hirsch]

Why?

[Andrea Canning]

I remember it like it was yesterday.

[Philip Hirsch]

In sort of press box banter. One of my colleagues immediately said, where was Tonya, really?

[Andrea Canning]

For those people who weren't born or were too young, Tonya Harding was a big competitor of Nancy Kerrigan.

[Philip Hirsch]

Tonya was an extraordinary skater. She was a much more athletic skater. She won the 1991 U.S. championships and became the first U.S. woman to land a triple Axel jump in competition, which was a very big deal. She stood to benefit the most by Nancy not being on the Olympic team. It was just a normal assumption for people to say, totally jokingly, where was Tanya?

[Andrea Canning]

The attacker fled. So this was really the beginning of a mystery of who this man was. Let's take a listen to this Dateline interview that Jane Pauley conducted with Nancy Kerrigan just days after the attack.

[Dorothy Newell]

I don't know why that man did.

[Andrea Canning]

What he did to you.

[Philip Hirsch]

And you don't know either.

[Dorothy Newell]

Yeah, I wondered why and thought if.

[Andrea Canning]

I could just ask him, you know.

[Dorothy Newell]

I'd just like to know, but I don't think I could understand anyway if he were to be able to give me an explanation, because I don't think that way. I don't think.

[Andrea Canning]

It'S too vicious and cruel.

[Dorothy Newell]

And how couldn't you.

[Andrea Canning]

I can't understand it.

[Philip Hirsch]

The police in Detroit investigated it. It turned out that the. The. The masked hitman was a guy named Shane Stant.

[Andrea Canning]

So Shane then leads to Tanya Harding's ex husband, Jeff Gillooli, and leads to.

[Philip Hirsch]

Tanya's bodyguard, Shawn Eckert.

[Andrea Canning]

Jeff Gilluli ended up pleading guilty to planning the attack. So both Tanya and Nancy end up going to Lillehammer, Norway, a few weeks after the incident as members of the US Olympics figure skating team. There was so much tension hanging over the competition. Nancy's recovering from the attack. Tonya's under a cloud of suspicion. What happens?

[Philip Hirsch]

The biggest deal of the Olympics may have been the first practice when they were on the ice together. Everybody was waiting for that moment. Nancy wound up wearing the same dress that she had when she was attacked, which is her way of saying, I'm here and I'm strong. As it turned out, Nancy skated throughout that competition as well as she ever had in her life.

[Andrea Canning]

What happened with Tanya?

[Philip Hirsch]

One of her bootlaces broke as she tried to tighten the skates. And that caused a long delay. Tanya had a very bad short program. She was not able to land a triple axel. At that point, the competition between Nancy and Tonya was over.

[Andrea Canning]

Tanya ends up finishing 8th overall. Nancy gets the silver medal. Less than a month later, Tonya Harding pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of conspiracy to hinder prosecution. She never admitted to helping, you know, plan it, but she did admit that she took part in covering it up.

[Philip Hirsch]

Right? Exactly. She eventually admitted to having some knowledge of what had happened. She was basically kept from skating in any sanctioned competition for the rest of her career.

[Andrea Canning]

You've said after the attack, figure skating went viral on national TV print outlets for the next two months. It just really supercharged interest in the sport.

[Philip Hirsch]

Well, the irony of this was that most of the figure skaters, the initial reaction was how horrible this was. And then the next two or three years went by. They realized it was making all of them rich. A lot of skaters made a lot of money because Tonya Harding's cohorts and she had raised the visibility of this sport to a level that it had really never seen. The ratings were off the charts for the first part of the competition.

[Andrea Canning]

All right. Well, Philip, still capturing our attention all these years later. Thank you for your unique insight into such a crazy time.

[Philip Hirsch]

Thanks, India.

[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. We hope you're all enjoying the Olympic coverage. DATELINE will not be on NBC for the next two weeks because of the Games, but you can still stream episodes on Peacock and look out for an exciting drop in our podcast feed. On Monday. We'll be sharing all six episodes of Keith's original series, the Girl in the Blue Mustang. It is the story of a young woman's murder in a California park and ride, a witness who knew too much, and the DATELINE viewer who changed everything. I was sitting at home and some force compelled me to go watch this episode of Dateline NBC. And on Wednesday, Keith and I chat about the story on a special edition of Talking Dateline. 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. Karloff production and fact checking help by Audrey Abraham. 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. Hi, everyone.

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