True Crime Time For January 5, 2025 | Foiled Terror Plot, Child Abuse Failures & the Death Penalty Debate

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Real Life Real Crime

Episode: True Crime Time For January 5, 2025 | Foiled Terror Plot, Child Abuse Failures & the Death Penalty Debate

Hosts: Woody Overton & Cyndi Overton

Release Date: January 5, 2026

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Main Theme

In this dynamic, hard-hitting episode, Woody and Cyndi Overton dig into several recent and notable true crime stories that highlight everything from foiled terror plots and devastating failures in child welfare, to the effectiveness and morality of the death penalty. Their trademark blend of gritty realism, candid reflection, and dark humor cuts through each case, exposing the pain, outrage, and lingering questions at the heart of real-world tragedies.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foiled ISIS-Inspired New Year’s Eve Terror Plot

• Location: Mint Hill, NC
• Perpetrator: 18-year-old Christian Sturtevant
• Summary:
  • Arrested hours before planned attack on crowded venues (grocery store, fast food restaurant).
  • Plot involved knives and hammers, reportedly inspired by ISIS; FBI uncovered via social media.
  • Previously exhibited violent warning signs; family worked to keep weapons away, but with limits to their intervention.
• Quotes:
  • Cyndi: “Evidence presented at a news conference revealed that Sturtevant had been planning the attack for about a year…” (03:05)
  • Woody: "Good riddance to him. And he didn't get to kill anybody. And good job to the cops." (06:15)
• Notable Moment: FBI intervention and family’s earlier efforts likely prevented a catastrophe.

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2. The Death of Damari Perry and Systemic Child Welfare Failures

• Location: North Chicago, IL
• Victim: 6-year-old Damari Perry, killed by his mother, Janny M. Perry, and older brother
• Summary:
  • Damari was subjected to prolonged cold-water punishment, died of hypothermia, then his body was burned and dumped across state lines.
  • Family delayed reporting his disappearance for 16 days; mother took a plea deal for 20–45 years, avoiding life without parole.
  • Damari, previously in foster care, was returned to mother despite warning signs.
• Quotes:
  • Woody: “Can you imagine that? ... That’s torture.” (08:56)
  • Cyndi: “How do you only get that many years for killing your child?” (10:23)
• Notable Moment: Persistent outrage over lenient sentencing and failures in oversight to protect the vulnerable.

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3. Police Child Abuse: The Tragedy of Thomas Valva

• Location: New York
• Victim: 8-year-old Thomas Valva, son of NYPD officer Michael Valva
• Summary:
  • Forced to sleep in an unheated garage—died of hypothermia; 11 prior reports made to CPS, all ignored.
  • Mother won $9 million settlement against CPS, but controversy and in-fighting have delayed payout.
• Quotes:
  • Prosecutor: “No one looking at this can come to any other conclusion other than CPS failed these boys miserably..." (13:19)
  • Cyndi: “Now I’m just as mad at the mother as I am of the father.” (15:25)
• Notable Moment: Hosts’ indignation at not only CPS but also apparent conflicts within the surviving family.

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4. Justice System Failures: The Logan Tipton Case & Insanity Defense

• Location: Kentucky
• Victim: 6-year-old Logan Tipton
• Summary:
  • Stranger Ronald Exantis stabbed and killed Logan, attacked siblings; found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, served less than half of a 20-year sentence, now released.
  • Family expresses total loss of faith in the justice system, deep ongoing trauma, and fear for public safety.
• Quotes:
  • Coral (Logan’s sister): “It’s like my testimony did not matter at all... I seen the man in my room killing my brother, and now he is just free. It just doesn’t make sense to me.” (20:05)
  • Heather (Logan’s mother): “All I could really do at that point was beg them to give him the max that they could give him for the assault charges. There was nothing else we could do. And I still feel helpless and. And now he’s out, like, walking the streets among us. Like, what do we do?” (21:47)
  • Cyndi: “I mean, what’s going to happen is he’s going to kill somebody else.” (25:43)
• Notable Moment: Heartbreaking interviews with the family create an emotional center in the episode.

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5. Missing Child in Alabama and Family Secrets

• Location: Walker County, AL
• Victim: 4-year-old Jonathan Everett “John John” Boley
• Summary:
  • John John went missing New Year’s Eve; found dead two days later with his dog alive by his side.
  • Search complicated when police found suspected explosives on father’s property—charged with unrelated offenses.
• Quotes:
  • Cyndi: “Authorities discovered what they believed to be explosive devices on the boy’s father’s property…leading to the father’s arrest on unrelated charges…” (29:14)
• Notable Moment: The tragedy of the child’s death compounds with the father’s legal troubles and police efforts.

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6. Death Penalty Debate: Execution of Harold Wayne Nichols

• Location: Tennessee
• Perpetrator: Harold Wayne Nichols
• Summary:
  • Nichols executed 35 years after his 1988 rape and murder of Karen Pulley, plus multiple additional rapes.
  • Lethal injection detailed; debate about his ‘remorse’ and spiritual transformation, but family and hosts unmoved.
• Quotes:
  • Woody: “Y’all, does that sound harsh to you? Well, he raped and murdered. Think about that.” (33:39)
  • Cyndi: “Did he bring her back to life?” (33:58)
  • Woody: “...they’re not killing to teach people not to kill. They’re killing because it’s the law...” (34:00)
• Notable Moment: The hosts staunchly defend the death penalty for heinous crimes, expressing little sympathy for the executed.

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7. Brutal Domestic Homicide in Ohio

• Location: Ohio
• Victim: 36-year-old Lakeisha Malone
• Summary:
  • Beaten to death with a wooden club by Andre Redmond, father of her child; quickly arrested at the scene.
• Quotes:
  • Cyndi: “This was a brutal weapon, improvised by her alleged attacker... wounds consistent with multiple blows.” (39:17)
• Notable Moment: Another chilling reminder of escalated domestic violence at the start of the new year.

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8. Failed Bank Robbery, Attempted Cop Murder & 95-Year Sentence

• Location: Fort Worth, TX
• Perpetrator: Leland Williams
• Summary:
  • Williams, desperate for money after an argument with his child’s mother, attempts a botched bank robbery, shoots an officer at point-blank range, but forgets to demand money, then flees.
  • Officer survives, Williams gets 95 years with parole possible after 30.
• Quotes:
  • Woody: “He just started shooting...he forgot to demand money.” (46:51)
  • Brown (surviving officer): “I struggle. It’s me versus me every day. I wasn’t going to let a couple gunshots take me out.” (52:03)
  • Cyndi: “Props to him for continuing to do the job.” (52:21)
• Notable Moment: The court demonstration with a plastic gun highlighting intent to kill, the resilience of the wounded officer.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “How do you only get that many years for killing your child?”
  — Cyndi Overton (10:23)

• “No one looking at this can come to any other conclusion other than CPS failed these boys miserably and as a result, Thomas died.” — Ray Tierney, Prosecutor (13:19)

• “It’s like my testimony did not matter at all…I seen the man in my room killing my brother, and now he is just free. It just doesn’t make sense to me.” — Coral, survivor of Logan Tipton case (20:05)

• “Did he bring her back to life?” — Cyndi Overton, regarding Nichols' remorse (33:58)

• “He just started shooting... he forgot to demand money.” — Woody Overton, on failed Fort Worth robbery (46:51)

• “I struggle. It's me versus me every day. I wasn't going to let a couple gunshots take me out.” — Deputy Brent Brown (52:03)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:22]—Foiled Mint Hill ISIS-inspired terror plot
• [06:15]—Damari Perry murder; failures in child protective services
• [11:16]—The case of Thomas Valva and repeated government failures
• [17:26]—Death penalty: death row and controversies
• [19:36 - 25:08]—Logan Tipton case: Family expresses heartbreak over horror and failed system
• [27:05]—Missing Alabama boy, John John, found deceased, father arrested on unrelated charges
• [30:38]—Execution of Harold Wayne Nichols; debate on death penalty
• [39:17]—Lakeisha Malone’s domestic homicide
• [41:04]—Fort Worth case: botched robbery, shot officer, 95-year prison sentence

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Tone & Closing

Woody and Cyndi’s conversation remains raw, sometimes darkly humorous, utterly direct, and deeply empathetic with victims and survivors. They challenge leniency, highlight law enforcement dedication, and underscore the urgent need for systemic reform. Each story is treated as fuel not just for outrage but for necessary conversation and action.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
This installment is as gripping as it gets, weaving together news, firsthand experience, and searing opinion in a collection of stories that demand attention—and justice.

Transcript

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[Woody Overton]

Hello everybody and welcome to this episode of True crime. Time for Mondays, January 5, 2026. That's kind of hard to get used to saying yes. And I'm Woody Overton. I'm Cindy Overton bringing you the news from around town and everywhere else. How about that?

[Cindy Overton]

It's true.

[Woody Overton]

All right. Hashtag just for Bradley. Hashtag just for AO. Continue calling your tips 313-RLRCTIP and I will be given updates episode at the end of this week. And and things are still moving now. The holidays are over etc and everybody's going back to work today. I expect. I expect they're going to keep doing what they're doing and we're going to keep doing what we're doing in hash just for Haley. I'm going to be recording with Ms. Barbara later this week on what's going on and the idea and how she wants to move forward in Haley's case. That being said, New year, first Monday of the new year holidays are over. Christmas decorations are down and almost, almost. Well, I don't see them anyway. And we're ready to roll with it, right?

[Cindy Overton]

Yes.

[Woody Overton]

And warmer weather coming this week for us in mid-70s every day. Bad for hunting.

[Cindy Overton]

Very bad for hunting.

[Woody Overton]

But let's get down some true crime time this Monday.

[Cindy Overton]

All righty. Well, I have a foiled terror plot that they just that has been reported. It occurred on December 31st though. So.

[Woody Overton]

Which was New Year's Eve. We were expecting it.

[Cindy Overton]

Yep. But just hours before New Year's Eve celebrations were set to begin in Mint Hill, which is a small town outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Police made an arrest. So 18 year old Christian Sturtevant, which is a man who worked at a local Burger King and lived with his family, was taken into federal custody after the FBI announced that it had thwarted what officials describe as an ISIS inspired terror plot plan for New Year's Eve. Evidence presented at a news conference revealed that Sturtevant had been planning the attack for about a year and his weapons of choice were knives and hammers, and he had targets, including a grocery store and potentially a fast food restaurant, locations he thought would be crowded during the holiday rush. So the FBI says its investigation began when agents traced pro ISIS activity back to a social media account linked to Sturtevant. And as the inquiry unfolded, Sturtevant communicated with undercover agents he believed were members of the Islamic State. In those exchanges, he professed allegiance to an agent, I will do jihad soon, and detailed plans to carry out the deadly assault.

[Woody Overton]

Well, he got a pledge, found a different hobby.

[Cindy Overton]

Right, Right. Well, when authorities searched his home, they reportedly found a handwritten manifesto titled New Year's attack 2026, outlining his intentions to stab dozens of people, even hoping to die. And he quotes a martyr's death at the hands of responding officers. Federal prosecutors charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a crime that could carry up to 20 years in prisons. So this was not the first time that Sturtevant had shown dangerous warning signs. Court records confirm that In January of 2022, when he was still a minor, the FBI became aware of him after learning he had been communicating online with suspected ISIS support supporters overseas. So during that period, he armed himself with a hammer and a knife, and he left his home intending to attack a neighbor. And a close family member, identified in reporting as his grandfather, physically stopped him. And no one was injured and no charges were filed. So during this, the rest of the years leading up to this, the family members had been trying to keep weapons away from him, living in the home with him. But I mean, how? You can only do so much, you know?

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Cindy Overton]

So anyway, thank goodness that was taken care of. And thank goodness the family was actually trying to do what they needed to do as well.

[Woody Overton]

Europe. And thank goodness they stopped him. Yeah, I mean, must not have had a lot of chore money if he can only come up with hammers and. Right.

[Cindy Overton]

Well, and he was at Burger King, too, working, so.

[Woody Overton]

Exactly. So good riddance to him. And he didn't get to kill anybody. And good job to the cops. It's time for family matters. Going to North Chicago, Illinois. And you're not like this, any of this, but they have a mother there who, in exchange for a shorter sentence, she pled guilty to first degree murder in the 2021 death of her six year old son, whose body was found burned and dumped in a trash bag. So her name of this beauty queen is Janny M. Perry, and she's 41 years old and she faces up to 45 years in prison for killing her son, Damari Perry. And on December 30th of 2021, the child was put into a cold shower for so long that he came be. He became unresponsive and vomited. Can you imagine that? Family members, the. If you can call them that, the SWAT's an effed up family. Family members then discussed how to dispose of his body.

[Cindy Overton]

What?

[Woody Overton]

Yep. And they took it to a different location. Then a whopping 16 days later, on January 15, 2022, they reported him missing. Well, the Mary's Perry's naked body was found in a plastic trash bag near an abandoned house in Gary, Indiana. At least they took it across state lines, I guess. The cause of death was ruled as hypothermia. And the coroner's office said his remains had been burned. Post mortem. On February 2, 2022, the Lake County Attorney's Office filed a 19 count indictment against Perry and her. Her older son, Jeremiah Perry, who's now 24. They were charged at the time with first degree murder and additional counts of aggravated battery of a child, dismembering of a human body, conspiracy, aggravated domestic battery and concealment of a homicidal death, endangering the life or health of a child, abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice. They also charge the third family member. Now, the DA says that Jany Perry and Jeremiah Perry plan to punish Damari using prolonged exposure to a cold shower. Now how do you come up with that as a punishment? Yeah, let's stick the six year old in a cold shower.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And that's. That's torture.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So a grand jury found evidence that the murder was exceptionally brutal and heinous, which allowed prosecutors to seek natural life sentences. And that's because. Illinois does not have the death penalty. So the Lake McHenry county scanner reports that Perry negotiated a plea deal with attorney's office and she pled guilty to first degree murder. And the rest of her charges were to miss. She no longer faces a natural license and instead we'd be sentenced to 20 to 45 years behind bars. All right, so People magazine reports that Mary Perry was in foster care after his birth in 2015. But Jenny Perry regained custody in 2017, and she is the mother of seven.

[Cindy Overton]

Jesus. Who's next? Hopefully.

[Woody Overton]

I. I don't know.

[Cindy Overton]

I mean.

[Woody Overton]

Well, nobody. None of her. It's not about her. Anyway. The. The. The brother is set to go on trial on February 9th of this year.

[Cindy Overton]

How do you only get that many years for killing your child?

[Woody Overton]

I don't know, 25 to 40 and I'm imagining the letter out of 20, I'm 20 to 45.

[Cindy Overton]

I did not get at least life.

[Woody Overton]

I mean, well, she was, that was most she could get. But she copped a plea and like I told you that they love to play him down now and she's going away to right where she needs to be. Good riddance.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah, I mean, I know I was actually asking silly questions because you would answer them all. It's just like mind blowing to me that that's what you get.

[Woody Overton]

Six year old froze to death in the shower. It's time for family matters. It's time for effed up professionals.

[Cindy Overton]

Well, you know, we asked the question, at least it came up in conversation about, you know, when it's hot outside and people leaving their kids in cars and, you know, dying that way. And then we wondered about hypothermia happening too. Well, I'm taking us to New York. And for 15 years, a man named Michael Valva served as a police officer in the New York Police Department. And that career came to an end in 2020, came to an end because he was arrested in connection with the death of his own eight year old son, who was named Thomas Falva. So the details of poor Thomas's life and death have emerged as the case has moved on and evidence has been collected and trial has happened. So evidence presented at trial showed that Thomas was forced to sleep in an unheated garage during winter temperatures as punishment.

[Woody Overton]

So fucked up.

[Cindy Overton]

In January of 2020, Thomas died from hypothermia. A jury later convicted Michael and his then fiance Angela Polina of second degree murder. The case also exposed repeated failures by the child welfare system. And According to prosecutors, 11 reports were made to Child Protective Services before Thomas's death. All of those 11 reports were made prior to the death of that child, said Ray Tierney. No one looking at this can come to any other conclusion other than CPS failed these boys miserably and as a result, Thomas died. Following the convictions, Suffolk county agreed to a $9 million settlement with Thomas's mother, Justina Valva, after she won a federal lawsuit alleging that Child Protective Services failed to protect her son. However, the settlements are now stalled. And during a two hour court conference, Edward Corman expressed frustration over the impasse. I'm at a loss as what to do here, the judge said. The mom reportedly told the court that she urgently needed the settlement money to prevent her home from being put into foreclosure. And yet the settlement agreement was declined to be finalized, the judge says, I understand you won't agree to sign a settlement. If that's correct, there's nothing more I can do, Judge Korman told her. An unnamed source told the New York Post that the refusal was motivated by greed, calling the dispute a money grab and claiming that the mom didn't want to share the settlement with her other children or pay attorney's fees or taxes. And those claims have not been independently verified. So people go on to say that no amount of money can undo what happened. And Thomas's death remains one of the most disturbing child abuse cases in recent New York history is disgusting. And it's, I mean the whole thing is bad.

[Woody Overton]

There you have it.

[Cindy Overton]

You take that and you're getting a 9 million dollar plea. Even if they said, well, we're just going to give you one. I mean, no amount of money is going to get your son back. And no, nobody goes into a court system and gets money back when their child dies, unless it's in the civil matter. And most people aren't walking around with that kind of money. They file bankruptcy, they do whatever they can. So they don't. They never have to pay.

[Woody Overton]

That's right.

[Cindy Overton]

Civil disputes. So now I'm just as mad at the mother as I am of the father.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, you don't want Cindy ever to mad at you. It's not a good situation.

[Cindy Overton]

You don't know because you never make me mad.

[Woody Overton]

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[Woody Overton]

All right, let's see. You know your killer and you go to prison and you behave and you find Jesus. And like all the ones I keep tabs on that are up in Angola, you know, they're preaching or they inmate lawyers or this or that or another, you know, they're just good people now. Right?

[Cindy Overton]

So good.

[Woody Overton]

Yep. And then, and then some, some of them, not my people, but in some states, you know, the killers will get released. So let me play this story.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Welcome back. We first told you about this story yesterday and today we give it the time it deserves. In 2015, six year old Logan Tipton was home with his family when police say a man walked in as a total stranger and attacked. Logan was stabbed to death. His two sisters were also stabbed but survived despite how horrific that attack was. Ronald Exantis, who was just released from prison yesterday, served less than half of his 20 year sentence. How did this happen? Well, in 2018, Exantis was found guilty of assault but not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. We reached out to the Kentucky Parole board about this case. They told us, quote, In April 2018, a jury convicted Exantis of assault second degree, including jail credit time from before trial. Exantis served nine years, nine months and 25 days of his sentence prior to legally mandated release. He will stay on mandatory re entry supervision until the expiration of his sentence. So what is going on with our justice system that puts a man like this back on the streets? Talk about that with Logan's family. Who joins me now, his mother Heather and his sister Coral are with us. Thank you both for being with us. And let us just start with how sorry we are for your loss and everything that you've been through over the past 10 years. How does it feel today to know that Exantis is back on the streets?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It's sickening. Infuriating.

[Coral]

I would, there's really, there's really no words to explain it. Me and my siblings, we are fearful of what's to come next.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Coral, tell me a little more about that. I mean, you were attacked in your home. This man is now back on the streets. You fear for your safety.

[Coral]

I do. And Ronald Exanis was not charged for murder. And that's the part that is really hard for us to grasp anyway. It's like my testimony did not matter at all. And that's truly just how I feel. I seen the man in my room killing my brother, and now he is just free. It just doesn't make sense to me.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

So I would love to ask both of you. So take me back to that. To that day in court when he was not found guilty of murder by reason of insanity. You saw it, as you pointed out with your testimony there in court as well. Coral, I asked both of you, like, what did it feel like that day? It seems to me the fact that he is on the street is both a combination of the parole board, but also that initial trial that found him not guilty of murder.

[Cindy Overton]

Correct.

[Coral]

After hearing the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, it kind of just felt like, what do we do now? You know, like, we can't try him again.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It.

[Coral]

When my mother. My mom was trying to explain it to us, me and my little sisters and brother, we were just confused. We couldn't understand the not guilty verdict. I could understand maybe guilty by reason of insanity because this whole crime, this whole case is truly insane. It's sick, and it's just. There's no words.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

It broke my heart.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

My heart was already broken. But it really broke me when they basically told us nobody killed Logan, nobody was going to be held responsible. All I could really do at that point was beg them to give him the max that they could give him for the assault charges. There was nothing else we could do. And I still feel helpless and. And now he's out, like, walking the streets among us. Like, what do we do?

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I'm curious, Heather, has this hung over you as well? Knowing from that day forward that he was only in jail for assault and that he would be eligible for parole, has this day haunted you? That he would one day be out there once again?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yes, it has definitely haunted all of us. My husband and I, we had to take a step back from everything. To be able to actually grieve. The whole trial process and everything just. It was just all a whirlwind. And then that happened. And Dean and I, we just had to take a step back and heal. And we're not fully healed, but I'm stronger now, and he's stronger Now. And I feel like maybe we can do something now. Maybe it took him getting out after 10 years for people to see what's going on, that this has happened, and we need to do something about it. Something has to be done.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I've seen the quote that your husband has given that if he ever runs into Exantis on the street, that he will kill. Exactly. And I can imagine almost every father out there who can place themselves in this situation would feel the same way. I know that I would feel the exact same way as Dean. Absolutely. Last question for you. What should be done? You point out this has galvanized you. It's given you fortitude and hopefully pointed out to others what can be done, what should be done. There's a lot of focus here. The parole board, the jury, the judge, the laws in Kentucky. Where do you point to the failure here that put this man back on the street?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

We were told that. And the parole board has always denied his parole. We were told that my children got a call in June saying that he would be released for mandatory reentry supervision in October. Apparently, that was a law that was made by the General Assembly.

[Cindy Overton]

We.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

We need help. I believe, federally, this needs to be something that's nationwide. If somebody is that insane and that they murder a sleeping little boy that's in his bed, that was no threat to him at all, whatsoever that had in the past, prior to Logan's death, exhibited violent tendencies towards children, something needs to be done with these people. There needs to be a place for them to go, not just for a few years, like, until the end of their life. There needs to be something somewhere that these people can go. I don't know if it's a mental institution. I don't know the answer to that question. But there has. This is unacceptable. There has to be something done.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Totally agree. Insanity does not excuse you or mitigate the fact that you took, in your case, your son's life. And I'm really sorry. Your son and your brother, Coral. I'm really sorry that. That is. That is where you are right now as a family. And we do pray, not just for your healing, but for your safety as well. So thank you for sharing your story with us here today.

[Woody Overton]

And, yeah, that guy's back to so many cases that we cover, just like on Haley's case, except, you know, the da, Cobb County, Sonny Allen, saying, oh, we can't try him for her murder because we tried him for concealment of corpse. Now you. You didn't try him for murder. In this case, they Couldn't retry him. They found him guilty. Not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder. But you tried him for the murder.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And you know, the. I totally agree with that. I mean, what's going to happen is going to kill somebody else.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And then the blood will be on all their hands.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And that. That girl, now that she's. I don't know how old she was when the attack happened, but she was there. She watched her. Her little brother get stabbed to death. And then he stabbed her.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

These are real people. And you know, they had to bury them. They had recover from their wounds. Listen to the parole board every time this guy came up and then find out, oh, he's getting out, but he's not guilty. And on the books, technically, that little boy never got killed. Yeah. So, you know, anyway, we're gonna try one more step on Haley's. And the only good thing about it is the. I mean, I don't. Double jeopardy is just a total excuse. They. They did not try them for the murder. But the only good thing is the statute of limitations on murder never runs out. So one day, maybe. Maybe another DA will get in or maybe this next step we take will make them see it in a different light. But who knows?

[Cindy Overton]

I hope so. I certainly hope so.

[Woody Overton]

It's time for family matters.

[Cindy Overton]

On January 2nd in Walker County, Alabama, a little boy went missing. And there was obviously a massive search amongst the community looking for him. It was a four year old little boy and his name was Jonathan Everett Boley, and they affectionately called him John John. And he was found about 2 miles. He was found dead about 2 miles from his father's rural home near Jasper, which is just northwest of Birmingham. Jonathan had gone missing on New Year's Eve. They didn't find him until January 2nd. And he was last seen that morning playing outside near Highway 195 with a 6 year old brother and their black Labrador retriever. They called him Buck. When he went missing. Multi. Multiple agencies began helping search for John John, including county deputies, the FBI, search crews with drones tracking dogs and volunteers. And it ended finding the little boy passed away on. They found his body on Friday afternoon. His dog Buck was found alive beside him in a wooden stretch of terrain. Investigators said that Jonathan John John may have wandered off while following the dog, which is apparently what they're saying, which is a behavior common among adventurous young children. And for hours, rescuers combed the woods in freezing winter conditions searching for any sign of him. But something complicated the search a little bit. Authorities Discovered. When they were searching the property, they discovered what they believed to be explosive devices on the boy's father's property.

[Woody Overton]

Nice.

[Cindy Overton]

Leading to the father's arrest on unrelated charges, including unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and chemical endangerment of a child. Officials later determined the suspected devices were not live explosives, though neighbors reported hearing explosions in the neighborhood in the days prior. Officials emphasize that the father is not suspected in connection with the boy's disappearance or death. But the discovery at the home temporary slowed search efforts as bomb squad teams investigated.

[Woody Overton]

Nice.

[Cindy Overton]

So unfortunately, John. John is gone. And.

[Woody Overton]

Never stops. No, never, ever stops. And we just, you know, rape, murder, torture, it all keeps rolling. And then I'll take you back to a time when social Media didn't exist. 1988. And they had a guy in Tennessee who was running around and raping and murdering people.

[Cindy Overton]

Cheese.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And actually where I used to live in the Chattanooga area. And his name is Nichols. And he. Harold Wayne Nichols. And he had confessed to killing and multiple other rapes in the Chattanooga area. And despite his showing remorse at a trial, he admitted he would have continued his violent behavior had he not been caught. So they called him and they sent us in to death in 1990 at the end of his trial. Right. So what is this? Let's see. On December 11th, that's when this was reported by the independent. Heroin. Nichols was given the ultimate punishment. Finally, it was carried out. He was given it back in 1990. So in 25 years.

[Cindy Overton]

No, 35.

[Woody Overton]

35 years later, he's executed by lethal injection in Nashville, Tennessee. Right. For. Specifically for the 1988 rape and murder of 20 year old Chattanooga State student Karen Pulley. And then just crazy. And I actually went to Chattanooga State.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So in his final statement, you know, they will amend. Strap him down. His final statement, Nichols said, to the people I've harmed, I am sorry. And a spiritual advisor, J. R Davis, prayed with him in the execution chamber, reciting the 23rd Psalm and the Lord prayer. Lord's prayer. As Nichols nodded along, both men became visibly emotional, Their voices strained, before Davis said, go in peace, my friend. I love you. Well, Nicholas was strapped to the gurney with a sheet pulled up to just above his waist and a long tube running from adjoining room to an IV which was inserted on the inside of his elbow. They said there was a spot of blood near the injection site. And at one point he took a very heavy breath in his whole torso rose up. He then took a series of short huffing breaths that witnesses said sounded like snorting or snoring. And Nichols face turned red and he groaned. His breathing then appeared to slow, then stop and his face became purple before he was pronounced dead. Y', all, does that sound harsh to you? Well, he raped and murdered. Think about that. If you're a female, think about this guy holding you down and raping you before he murders.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So Nicholas sister Deborah Perry watched the execution from the witness chamber and cried quietly but did not speak. And Nichols attorneys unsuccessfully sought to have his sentence commuted to life in prison, citing the fact that he took responsibility for his crimes and he pled guilty.

[Cindy Overton]

Did he bring her back to life?

[Woody Overton]

Exactly. And all the other ones that he wrote too. So his clemency petition stated he would be the first person to be executed for a crime he pled guilty to since Tennessee reenacted the death penalty in 1978. But just because you pled guilty to it doesn't mean you're less susceptible to the penalty of whatever the charge may be. The US Supreme Court had declined his state execution also. Now, Pulley's sister, Lisette Monroe, had wanted to be present for the execution, but became too overwhelmed. And her husband and police brother in law Jeff Monroe told media afterwards. But he read a statement that said the family was destroyed by evil the night Pulley was killed. Taking a life is serious and we take no pleasure in it. However, the victims, and there were many, were carefully stalked and attacked. The crimes and there were many, were deliberate, violent and horrific. In a recent interview, Lisette Moreau said the wait for Nichols execution has been 37 years of hell. She described her sister as a gentle, sweet and innocent and said she hopes that after the execution she'll be able to focus on the happy memories of Pulley instead of her murder. Pulley, who was 20 when she was killed, had just finished Bible college and was attending school in Chattanooga to become a paralegal. Said Karen was bubbly, happy, selfless and looking forward to life before her. Now Nichols attorney Debbie Drew also spoke out the execution, saying her client had turned his life over to God after speaking to police mother decades ago shortly after he was sentenced. His execution sent the message that no one can rise beyond the crimes they committed decades earlier and that redemption deserves no mercy. She said, well, you know what? Even serial killers and rapists have mothers too. But Davis said after the execution that he had known Nichols for a decade and as part of a prison men's group and believes that Nicholas remorse and spiritual transformation were genuine. Davis said Nichols committed horrible crimes, but killing the teach people not to kill Just doesn't make sense. Well they're not killing to teach people not to kill. They're killing and it is on his deficit will say homicide by the state of Tennessee. They're killing because it's the law because. Because you killed and raped and killed and raped killed and raped innocent young women. Nicholson seen two previous execution dates come and go. The state earlier planned to execute him in August of 2020 but Nichols was given a reprieve due to Covid in many states have had difficulty attaining the lethal injection drugs as anti death penalty activists have put pressure on drug companies and other suppliers and between the shortages and legal challenges over box executions some states have moved to alternative methods including firing squad South Carolina and nitrogen gas in Alabama and now nitrogen gas in the state of Louisiana. So 46 men have died by court order execution this year and or this past year in the United States shouldn't have done all that raping and murdering.

[Cindy Overton]

Well if they don't like the punishment under American law or whatever the state is they can either move to another country that has a better punishment so they can act like and be murderers and rapers and just get house arrest or whatever they do like in Switzerland.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah.

[Cindy Overton]

And there's a whole lot of other.

[Woody Overton]

States they can move to.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah. Or don't do it.

[Woody Overton]

Exactly. I was going to say the it's not to teach people not to kill because it if it was then this missed the lesson think that he didn't know and he admit it. I'm evil. I'm going to continue like Jared Borland said if I get out I'm gonna do it again. I'm a rape and murder again. Well guess what, you're not getting out sir.

[Cindy Overton]

No.

[Woody Overton]

And you know I hope you got your business straight with Jesus. That's between you and Jesus. Bye bye.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah. What do you think Jesus did? That little girl went straight to heaven.

[Woody Overton]

I hope so. I hope so.

[Cindy Overton]

Well we know that. I mean yeah I have to believe that.

[Woody Overton]

I mean I should say. I know say yeah. It's time for family matter.

[Cindy Overton]

Taking us to Ohio. On January 2nd of this year authorities in Ohio responded to a devastating domestic violence incident that ended with the death of a woman and the arrest of the man believed responsible. Police said that 36 year old Lakeisha Malone was discovered at a home in serious condition. She was beaten to death with a wooden club and this was a brutal weapon improvised by her alleged attacker. Law enforcement described the wounds consistent with multiple blows indicating a violent and sustained assault. Investigators quickly identified the suspect as 38 year old Andre Redmond, which was the father of Malone's child and someone known to police from prior interactions. Redmond was arrested on the scene and charged with murder in connection with Malone's death. Officers were called to the residence after a welfare check. And once inside, they found evidence that led them almost immediately to the killer Redmond. And at no point did officials indicate a prolonged search. He was taken into custody soon after first responders arrived. And as of the latest reporting, prosecutors have filed the murder charge and the case remains under investigation. So, I mean, this is great. Start January 2nd. Goodness gracious.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. Well, I don't know. Well, I'm gonna give you one. A jury's verdict at least. This guy got 95 years in prison. I'll start it out for that. So we are going to tell you about Fort Worth, Kimmy.

[Cindy Overton]

Oh, right.

[Woody Overton]

They said for six and a half hours. First of all, cops real jobs and fireman's real jobs are the side jobs they have, right? Yeah, mine used to be. I got paid for every subpoena. I got to go to court, up to three a day and it was a lot of money, but I worked nights and was in court all day, etc. Yeah. And we didn't really have extra duty details. Well, you know, Dallas, Fort Worth and those areas, they have a lot of businesses that need off duty cops. And for six and a half hours every Monday, Brent Brown worked an off duty security shift at a credit union on the east side of Fort Worth. And because, you know, cops don't make any money. Right. But he worked full time as a tariff Tarrant County Sheriff's office deputy. But one afternoon in late November 2023, he's in uniform. That's part of the deal, right? People hiring this and the uniform services of the term. You got a deputy there with a gun on, usually have the car parked out front. Right. But he's in uniform, sitting on chair at the end of the line of the teller desk in the bank.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And he looked at his cell phone. Then from a waiting area, a guy, Leland Williams, watched a customer who's an older man. He turned to walk out of the Fort Worth Community Credit Union, leaving Williams as the only person left in the lobby. Wearing a red jacket, Williams approached the deputy, lifted both arms and squeezed the trigger of a Smith and Wesson.40 caliber pistol four times. He walks up and tries to execute the deputy. Two projectiles entered deputy Brown's body. They tore into his large intestine and chest and one near the spine. And they said Gunpowder floated through the lobby air like the fresh smell of. Yeah, gunfire. Right. The deputy got knocked to the floor and he pulls himself up from the floor. And while Williams is running out, he. He shoots back at him by. Williams is near the credit union doors. He's firing back at him. And the teller activates an alarm. And they called 911 from under her station desk. She was hiding, right? Nothing makes you hide like a little gunfire. So deputy. The deputy is falling back on. On the carpet and he's shouting in pain and he's. He's writhing around, you know, moving around. So finally, years later at his trial this week, Williams testified the shooting was motivated by desperation and it. Text messages. On the morning of the shooting, the mother of Williams toddler insisted that Williams should send her money and threatened to move with the little girl to California if he did not. Williams was 35 and he was an unemployed landscaper. He could have got a job for Ruthie Cox. Door.

[Cindy Overton]

So that gives him permission to just go kill a cop?

[Woody Overton]

Well, or try to. He said he could not fulfill the demand for additional financial support. So. And after he. His baby's mama, you know, demanded more money from William said he drank a beer and swallowed two pills that he believed were Xanax to soothe his worries about losing contact with his daughter. Well, then he got to thinking and he said, you know what? There's a way I can get some money. And he comes up with the plan that he could deal with. And his actual words were he thought the plan was palatable.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah, yeah, right. It's so palatable.

[Woody Overton]

He concluded that he should rob a bank.

[Cindy Overton]

Perfect.

[Woody Overton]

He said in quotation. He said, I felt like it was a quick fix to my problem.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

Get a job. And he's testifying to this in court.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

He said he walked about 10 minutes from his mom's house. Nice to know you grown man babies and living with your mama. He walked about 10 minutes from his mom's house to the credit union on Brentwood stairway. And after less than a minute inside, he left.

[Cindy Overton]

After he shot.

[Woody Overton]

Oh, wait, wait. Okay. Then nearly just as quickly, he came back in. Yeah. To the lobby. He said he. I was working up my nerve to carry out the robbery and he made an odd comment. Odd comment to Brown about want to speak to him instead of other credit union employees before returning to the waiting area chair. Right.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So Williams skipped the central element of bank robbery. He forgot to demand money.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah. I was gonna say. Where does that come in?

[Woody Overton]

He just started shooting. Oh.

[Cindy Overton]

Because. Okay.

[Woody Overton]

And they Said his defense attorney. Said, Leland, you never even asked for money. And that defense attorney's name is Eric Nichols. He noted it in a question to his client when he was on the stand. Williams agreed that the attempt did not make sense and explained that his thoughts were informed by intoxication in the battle between the devil and an angel. This motherfucker. So the jury finally decides the punishment after the guilty plea. So William pled guilty to aggravated assault of a public servant just before the jury began to hear evidence, which they always do. They're like, I don't like to look at that jury. I better take this. However many years they're going to give me. And the. The task for the jury in the 371st District Court was now to assess the punishment. The panel was directed to consider a prison term between 5, 99 years or life in prison. Well, they go back to the jury room and they discuss it and discuss it. Probably got the free meal out of maybe two because they were in there for seven and a half hours. And they return and they said, what is your verdict? And they say, get that homeboy, 95 years. Give it to him, right? Yeah, but he can be eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Look at the young cop trying to make a buck, Right. So they said with a life term, the jury would say, we did not tolerate this in Tarrant County. And Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Wayburn attended a portion of the trial and also in the court gallery where Brown, his victim, his parents, and William's mother, sister and other relatives. Now, Nicholson, the defense attorney, Kelly Mador, who also represents Williams, argued against the life sentence, but did not recommend a specific number of years to the jury. And Smith, who prosecuted the case, was prepared for the defendant to assert he did not 10 intend to kill the deputy when he shot him four times at point blank range. And you missed twice, but maybe that was your angel block those two bullets. But when William suggested that his intentions fell short of lethality. Oh, yeah. I mean, I didn't kill him. Right. Smith pulled out a blue plastic pistol for demonstration that the prosecutor. Yeah, right. That's. I love that. Nothing more dramatic than that. Yeah, right. He handed the prop firearm to defend it and asked him to stand up. And he did. And he said, raise it at me like you raised it at him. And they got a video of this in the courtroom. Oh, I hope I could play this. It's not gonna play, y'.

[Cindy Overton]

All.

[Woody Overton]

It just shows the picture of him. Anyways. Smith wanted admission from Williams that such a gun positioning and angle and the distance between the shooter and the victim suggested that he did in fact intend to kill Brown. Yeah. Well, Williams began his time on the stand with an apology to the deputy. And he testified that he accepted accountability. And he says, I'm ready to do my time now. William's mother, Janice Wilson, testified that she raised her children to respect law enforcement officers and she was stunned that her son had caused so much pain. She said, I just asked have mercy on my child. That's all. At the start of her cross examination, prosecutor Smith picked up on the matter of compassion. He said, Quotations, Ms. Wilson, how much mercy did your son show Deputy Brown when a Fort Worth police department crime scene unit officer cut open Brown's body armor office found a projectile embedded in it. So at least it stopped. Yeah, we know that much. Right. Brown also testified a trial and recounting watching the slide of Williams gun, recall believing he was going to die, feeling as if he was going to pass out. And as he arrived in AM John Peter Smith hospital, Brown asked about the location of his phone. He wanted to call his mama. Brown's physical recovery took about eight months. But he said they say this, the psychological effects continue. And I can imagine they do.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

In quotations. He said, I struggle. It's me versus me every day. I wasn't going to let a couple gunshots take me out. So he has returned to work and the agency fugitive warrants department.

[Cindy Overton]

Wow.

[Woody Overton]

So props to him.

[Cindy Overton]

Props to him for continuing to do the job.

[Woody Overton]

And then sure, that's it. I mean, dumb, criminal idiot, just, you know, lazy, don't take care of your kid. All kinds of going on there. Yeah.

[Cindy Overton]

Plenty of people get told every single day that they need more money.

[Woody Overton]

Absolutely.

[Cindy Overton]

For their baby mama or they're gonna live. It happens every single day.

[Woody Overton]

Absolutely. And yeah, they don't go have a couple. Couple beers and some Xanax. Yeah. Oh, I'm gonna rob a bank. But I'm forget to tell them that I'm Robin. I'm just gonna go up and. And attempt to kill the cop.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

I mean he could have hawked that pistol for enough money.

[Cindy Overton]

Exactly.

[Woody Overton]

But instead he'll be going to do 95. Kimmy, Fort Worth. We all know you live in Dallas and yeah, that's a running joke between one of our top fans. The you got anything else?

[Cindy Overton]

No.

[Woody Overton]

We're going to wrap it up for today's is edition of True Crime Time 4. And I'm Woody Overton.

[Cindy Overton]

I'm Cindy Overton.

[Woody Overton]

Holla at you later. Peace.

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