Verdict watch in Navy optician's murder trial. Accused killer's ties to Zizians. Plus, AI scams.

Summary

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Dateline NBC – True Crime Weekly

Episode: Verdict Watch in Navy Optician's Murder Trial. Accused Killer's Ties to Zizians. Plus, AI Scams.
Date: July 9, 2026
Host: Andrea Canning (NBC News)

Episode Overview

This week, Dateline True Crime Weekly dives into three high-profile, ongoing cases:

• The verdict watch in the murder trial of Navy optician Larry Miliette, accused of killing his wife Maya in California.
• New murder charges in Pennsylvania involving Michelle Zyko and her ties to a cult-like, AI-obsessed group called the Zizians.
• A segment on the dangers of AI-powered scams—how they're evolving and what you can do to protect yourself—featuring NBC chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Wynn.

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1. Larry Miliette Murder Trial – Verdict Watch

[02:19–11:15]

Key Points & Insights

• Background: Larry Miliette, a Navy optician, stands trial in San Diego County for the alleged murder of his wife, Maya Miliette, whose body has never been recovered.
• Prosecution's Case:
  • Sought first-degree murder charges.
  • Presented seven weeks of testimony from 66 witnesses.
  • Motive: Larry was "so consumed by his wife Maya's desire to end their marriage that he murdered her and then dumped her body somewhere it's never been found.”
  • Introduced evidence of infidelity, “spellcasters,” and aggressive control tactics.
  • Highlighted Maya’s own journals and therapy records expressing fear of Larry.
  • Played to jurors’ emotions, reminding them Maya was a dedicated mom who “never, ever, ever would want to leave her children.”
    • Quote (Alexis Rivas at 08:09):

      “That was a huge part of the closing, that Maya was human...she was a flawed person, but she was a human being, a human that, sadly, is probably no longer alive.”

• Defense's Case:
  • Called only three witnesses:
    1. Two K9 officers (their dogs didn’t detect Maya's body in the house).
    2. A private investigator who theorized Maya could have left the house undetected via a drainage ditch.
    • Quote (Alexa Alexis Rivas at 04:17):

      “[The investigator] finds a way to essentially get in and out of the house without being caught on any of the cameras...technically possible. Now, whether or not they actually wanted people to really believe that that’s what happened, that’s different.”

  • Pointed to lack of physical evidence (no crime scene, no blood spatter, no body).
  • Raised reasonable doubt, argued Larry was also a victim of Maya's deception.
    • Quote (Alexa Alexis Rivas at 10:07):

      “If you remove that framework and you just take a look at a man who is heartbroken because his wife is having an affair...all of his actions could easily be explained.”

• Emotional Atmosphere:
  • Packed courtroom, many wearing green (Maya’s favorite color).
  • Family and friends of Maya visibly emotional throughout closings.
  • Quote (Alexa Alexis Rivas at 07:14):

    “We had hundreds of people out here that hiked trails for months looking for Maya’s body...the entire left side of the courtroom was the color green.”

• Jury Dynamics:
  • Hard to read jury, but reportedly cohesive group.
  • Notable moment at 11:01:

    “One of the days they asked if they could have permission to play tennis together.”

Notable Quotes

• Prosecution’s closing:

  “[Jurors] don’t need a body and they don’t need to know how. They just need to believe Larry did it.”
  – (Alexa Alexis Rivas, 09:52)

• Defense’s closing:

  “There’s no playbook for heartbreak.”
  – (Andrea Canning paraphrasing at 10:43)

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2. Pennsylvania Double Murder & Ties to the Zizians

[13:03–22:37]

Key Points & Insights

• Case Overview:
  Rita (69) and Richard Zyko (71) were shot and killed in their Philadelphia-area home on New Year’s Eve 2022. Their adopted daughter, Michelle Zyko (33), now faces murder charges.
• Investigation Details:
  • Autopsy: Both victims shot in the head.
  • Michelle linked via 9mm gun/casings and ammunition traces.
  • Surveillance captured someone saying “mom” at the scene.
• Michelle’s Evasion:
  • Gave conflicting alibis to police; left a search scene (and her car with $40,000 cash inside) and went missing for two years.
  • Surfaced in rural Maryland, coincidentally with Ziz, leader of the Zizians.
• The Zizians:
  • A “cult-like” group originating from Berkeley, CA.
  • Led by Jack Lasoda (aka Ziz), consists mostly of high-IQ vegans fixated on AI apocalypse.
  • Members describe themselves as “people who can essentially save the world.”
    • Quote (Rich Shapiro at 01:42 & 18:52):

      “They see themselves as people who can essentially save the world.”

• Other Violent Incidents Linked to Zizians:
  • Vermont: Group shootout with Border Patrol; agent killed.
  • California: Group member accused of stabbing a property owner.
• Prosecutorial Stance:
  • No evidence Zizians’ alleged philosophy directly motivated the crimes; family dynamics central in Zyko case.
  • Prosecutors believe Michelle had help but haven’t named the second person involved.
  • Quote (Rich Shapiro at 18:13):

    “[DA] does not believe Michelle acted alone...two people got out of the car and entered the house.”

---

3. Dateline Roundup: Legal and Missing Persons Updates

[24:26–31:00]

3.1 Karen Reed Wrongful Death Suit (Massachusetts)

• Wrongful death lawsuit filed after Reed’s acquittal for murder of boyfriend/police officer John O’Keefe.
• Emergency hearing called after a leak of private, sensitive medical court information to social media.
• Judge issued stern warning:
  • Quote (Judge, paraphrased at 26:18):

    “Do not succumb to the attraction of seeking to influence this case through social media. Be what a trial lawyer should be, one that tries their case in the courtroom.”

3.2 Lynette Hooker Disappearance (Bahamas/Florida)

• New video from Coast Guard shows seizure of the Hooker boat “Soulmate” a month after Lynette vanished.
• Investigation remains open; significant suspicion around Lynette’s husband, who denies wrongdoing.

3.3 Barry Morphew Murder Retrial (Colorado)

• Suzanne Morphew went missing Mother’s Day 2020; her remains found in 2023, animal tranquilizer implicated.
• Barry Morphew faces charges again; trial date pushed to July 19, 2027, after defense requested more time to review extensive evidence.

---

4. AI-Driven Social Media Scams

[31:02–36:06]

Key Points & Insights

• Context:
  Social commerce is booming—and so are scams, especially those enhanced by AI. Gallup: 15 million Americans scammed last year, with 12% linked to AI.
• Case Study:
  • Luxury watch dealer Tyler McCorsky (aka Vukam) falsely arrested after scammers impersonated him on Facebook using AI-generated deepfakes and cloned profiles.
    • Quote (Tyler at 31:57):

      “It felt like a fever dream, to be honest with you. I was like, what the hell is going on?”

    • Quote (Vicky Wynn at 33:13):

      “It really just feels like a game of whack-a-mole because new fake accounts keep appearing.”

• Advice & Warning Signs:
  • Pause before sending money; beware of time-limited offers.
  • Verify social media accounts; don’t click links in direct messages.
  • Use web searches plus “scam” to vet sellers.
  • For big buys, demand extra verification (e.g., live video).
  • Quote (Vicky Wynn at 35:50):

    “In this era, Andrea, remember that seeing is no longer believing...we just have to be extra cautious, extra skeptical because AI content is so convincing these days.”

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Notable Quotes

• “There’s no crime scene. None. There is no blood spatter, nothing. No proof that homicide even happened.”
  – Alexa Alexis Rivas, [04:03]
• “Prosecutors have wanted first degree murder, but...the judge is going to include everything from first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, to involuntary manslaughter. That’s a huge array of selections.”
  – Alexa Alexis Rivas, [06:41]
• “It was clear by the end of the day, even though Larry didn’t cry, he asked for a box of tissues, and when he stood up, his face was red, and he did not nod at his family like he usually does.”
  – Alexa Alexis Rivas, [07:52]
• “The Zizians...see themselves as people who can essentially save the world.”
  – Rich Shapiro, [18:52]
• “In this era, remember that seeing is no longer believing.”
  – Vicky Wynn, [35:50]

---

Important Timestamps

• Larry Miliette Trial Coverage: 02:19–11:15
• Michelle Zyko & Zizians Case: 13:03–22:37
• Karen Reed Wrongful Death Suit: 24:26–25:52
• Lynette Hooker Disappearance: 26:50–28:55
• Barry Morphew Murder Case: 28:55–30:57
• AI-Powered Scam Segment: 31:02–36:06

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Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational yet direct, with moments of gravitas during sensitive true crime coverage.
• Occasional wry asides and empathetic comments.
• Emphasis on the emotional weight of the cases, the persistence of investigators/journalists, and an appeal to listener vigilance regarding modern scams.

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Takeaway

This episode exemplifies Dateline’s knack for weaving together high-stakes court drama, in-depth investigative updates, and timely consumer warnings. From the emotional tension of a murder verdict watch to the chilling profile of a 21st-century cult, and finally to practical advice about AI fraud, this installment balances true crime storytelling with actionable public service.

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Transcript

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[Andrea Canning]

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[Rich Shapiro]

Hey, good morning.

[Andrea Canning]

It's the start of another workday for the DATELINE team. They press in pretty hard in this interrogation. Our producers are catching up on breaking crime news. There's always been a question of whether

[Rich Shapiro]

she would get some sort of new deal.

[Andrea Canning]

It's a super high profile case.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Oprah gets involved.

[Andrea Canning]

Welcome to Dateline, True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's July 9th and here's what's on our docket. In Pennsylvania, prosecutors connect a woman accused of murdering her parents to a cult like group called the Zizians.

[Rich Shapiro]

They see themselves as people who can essentially save the world.

[Andrea Canning]

In DATELINE Roundup, a judge puts the attorneys on both sides of the Karen Reed wrongful death suit on blast. And the U.S. coast Guard releases dramatic new video from its investigation into a woman who went missing in the Bahamas.

[Rich Shapiro]

Okay, any weapons on board?

[Vicky Wynn]

No, sir.

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[Rich Shapiro]

Do not reach for them.

[Andrea Canning]

Plus, NBC News chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Wynn will be here to tell us about AI powered scams on social media and how to avoid becoming the next victim.

[Vicky Wynn]

In this era, remember that seeing is no longer believing.

[Andrea Canning]

But before all that, we're heading back to San Diego county, where we're on verdict watch at the murder trial of Navy optician Larry Miliette. For seven weeks, jurors at the San Diego county courthouse have listened to sensational testimony about infidelity, spellcasters and poison. Prosecutors have called on 66 witnesses to build their case against Larry Miliette, a man they say was so consumed by his wife Maya's desire to end their marri that he murdered her and then dumped her body somewhere it's never been found. From day one of the trial, the defense has pointed to the lack of physical evidence that a murder even took place. But when it came time to present their case, the defense called just three witnesses, offering their own surprising theory about what could have happened to Maya the night she disappeared. Then on Wednesday, the jury finally got the case and started deliberating. Here to take us inside the final days of the trial is NBC 7 investigative reporter Alexa Alexis Rivas. Welcome back, Alexis.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Hi, Andrea. Always great to be here.

[Andrea Canning]

Yes, we love having you on the podcast. I mean, it's almost like this trial felt like it just went on and on and on. It's been a long trial.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

I will say we were all gearing up for a three month long trial and were shocked watching the defense sum up their entire case in three hours.

[Andrea Canning]

Who did they call as witnesses to make their case?

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

So they just called three witnesses. They started with two K9 officers. They said that their dogs didn't detect Maya's body inside of the Milite house. And I think that really underscores a major point for this defense. There's no crime scene. None. There is no blood spatter, nothing. No proof that homicide even happened.

[Andrea Canning]

The defense did not stop at planting seeds of reasonable doubt. Their third witness was a private investigator who came up with a theory about where Maya may have gone that night. Tell us about that.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah, this guy's really interesting. He's considered a pretty top notch private investigator here in our legal community. And his main point was to refute one of the biggest, maybe more incriminating pieces of evidence from the prosecution that, hey, the last video we have of Maya alive, she's walking into her house, and none of these surveillance cameras from any of her neighbors ever got her leaving her house. Well, he finds a way to essentially get in and out of the house without being caught on any of the cameras. He suggested for that to happen, you could hop over the fence and there's a drainage ditch. That ditch runs kind of right behind their backyard all the way to a hiking trail that's pretty popular here. And that trail also leads into kind of a neighboring suburb. So technically possible. Now, whether or not they actually wanted people to really believe that that's what happened, that's different. You know, it's a reasonable doubt case. They just need just enough.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah, absolutely. He's not trying to prove, you know, or say what happened. He's just trying to say, here's another possibility. Lexis, how did the prosecution handle this private investigator on cross examination?

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Well, he had to speak about how he'd never Tried doing this at night, and it would have had to happen at night. I think that stuck in a lot of people's minds, at least in the gallery. And I overheard Maya's family talking about that same thing. When he had his chance to do this, it wasn't until a couple years after Maya had initially disappeared. So there might have been some changes. There could have been some new trees, some new things, some new angles on these cameras that just wasn't true. The night Maya was last seen, Larry,

[Andrea Canning]

no surprise, decided not to testify. Well, I guess in this case, maybe.

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[Andrea Canning]

I could backtrack that, since he does talk a lot, and he did a lot of interviews with you, including a phone call you got during the trial. So normally I would say murdered defendants don't testify. It's a surprise if they do. But maybe not in this case.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

You're right. Normally I would agree with you. And, yeah, in this case, I have to say I was surprised. I mean, he has been saying for years, but especially in just like, the weeks before this trial, how much he was looking forward to telling his side of the story. You know, he said in his own words he was not going to take the stand. I could tell you. People gasped.

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[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

In the courthouse when that happened.

[Andrea Canning]

Y. Well, before they got to closings, the attorneys had a sidebar with the judge. This sidebar seemed like it's going to be important in this final stage of the trial. They argued about the charges the jury should consider on the verdict form. What charges are we talking about?

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

From the get go, prosecutors have wanted first degree murder, but before the jury got their instructions, we found out from the judge they're going to include everything from first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, to involuntary manslaughter. That is a huge array of selections. I mean, involuntary manslaughter is only two years in a state prison. He's already got more time served than that. So that's definitely a victory for the defense.

[Andrea Canning]

Closing arguments began on Tuesday. What was the atmosphere like in court? You know, this has been a very emotional trial for a lot of people.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah, I mean, we had hundreds of people out here that hiked trails for months looking for Maya's body. So there's a lot of people that were just heavily invested in this case, and we expected a lot of them to turn out. They did. The entire left side of the courtroom was the color green, which is Maya's favorite color. So there's no mistaking the amount of support that we saw in the courtroom there. And it got a little emotional. There were definitely times where even prosecutor Christy Bowles was, like, gulping. You know, it's hard to know if it's emotion there, but she quivered her voice. Maya's family and friends started crying as well. And it was clear by the end of the day, even though Larry didn't cry, he asked for a box of tissues. And when he stood up, his face was red, and he did not nod at his family like he usually does.

[Andrea Canning]

Wow. And the prosecutor, Christy Bowles, really sort of went for those heartstrings, talking about Maya as a mom, missing her kids, birthdays. That can really weigh on a juror when they're faced with something like that.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah. That was a huge part of the closing, that Maya was human. She talked about the fact that, yeah, we know she lied. Right. She had this affair. She was a flawed person, but she was a human being, a human that, sadly is probably no longer alive. And they really wanted to remind this jury that she was a mom. And that's so important to this case, not just because of, you know, maybe her character and wanting that to carry some weight and deliberations, but because, again, there's no body. We have to really make it clear that this is someone who never, ever, ever would want to leave her children. And in their words, it was unfathomable to think that she would. Yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

And also, the prosecutor reminded jurors about Maya's own words that she wrote in her journal. She was afraid of Larry. She told her therapist she was afraid of Larry and others. And that's really important.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah. As she said, there's a theme here of this control and this fear of violence regarding Larry.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. And as outlandish as the spellcasters, you know, Larry trying to cast spells on Maya, seems the prosecution said there was something deeper to it, and it was part of that coercive control you're talking about of Maya.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

And it gave us a really rare look at something. The inner workings of his mind. He's saying, you know, in all of these vulnerable moments, exactly what he wants, that he wants her to be submissive, that he wants Maya to obey, that he wants Maya to stay in a bed and never leave a bed. It got very dark, and it got in, they would argue, state of mind, evidence that he was willing to. To pay a stranger to hurt his wife.

[Andrea Canning]

And arguably. So the. The biggest hurdle for the. The prosecution is this lack of physical evidence. But the prosecutor pushed back on that and said, and basically it was, you know, use your common sense.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah. She really wanted this jury to remember they don't need a body and they don't need to know how. They just need to believe Larry did it.

[Andrea Canning]

The defense went next with their closings and again, this was. There just is not enough for you to put Larry away.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah. She said you basically only heard all of this evidence within a framework where Larry is a murderer. If you remove that framework and you just take a look at a man who is his heartbroken because his wife is having an affair or he suspects that and she's telling him she's not. And she even went in to say, you're not going to like me saying this, but Larry was abused too. She basically is arguing Larry was gaslit by Maya who was telling him she wasn't having an affair when he was. Maya was kind of making him crazy. And if you think about that and the shame that accompanies that, all of his actions could easily be explained by all of these other things going on in his life.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. The defense said there's no playbook for heartbreak. The case now is in the hands of the jurors.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

This is such a hard jury to read. You know, they don't react very often. They haven't for the last two months. But we know that they get along. I mean, one of the days they asked if they could have permission to play tennis together.

[Andrea Canning]

So this is a group jurors.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Yeah.

[Jerry (Pet Insurance)]

What?

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yeah, the judge said sure, as long as you don't talk about the case.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so it is San Diego.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Yes. So we really just. Yeah, we'll have to wait and see.

[Andrea Canning]

Thank you, Alexis. We will wait and see what the jury decides.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Thank you for having me.

[Andrea Canning]

Coming up, a double murder in Pennsylvania with possible ties to a cult like group of AI obsessed vegans.

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[Andrea Canning]

On New Year's Eve 2022, 69 year old Rita and 71 year old Richard Zyko were fatally shot in their bedroom in a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia. Now, three years later, prosecutors have finally charged someone with their murders. Their 33 year old daughter. Today, Michelle Zaiko, who has been linked with a cult like group, was officially charged with killing her parents inside their home. At a recent press conference, prosecutors said they believe she didn't work alone and raised questions about her ties to a group known as the Zizians, who have been connected to several other violent deaths across the country. NBC News investigative reporter Rich Shapiro has been trying to piece it all together and is here today to bring us the latest. Rich, thanks for coming on the podcast.

[Rich Shapiro]

My pleasure.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, so Rich, give us some background on the Zycho family to start.

[Rich Shapiro]

Sure thing. They lived in a nice home about 30 miles west of Philly in a town called Chester Heights. Rita and Richard adopted Michelle as a baby and Michelle was a bright and high achieving student in college. But Michelle had been estranged from her parents leading up to their death. And on the day they were killed, which was Michelle's 30th birthday, Rita texted her daughter, hoping to repair the rift between them. That message was never answered.

[Andrea Canning]

What do prosecutors say happened to Rita and Richard?

[Rich Shapiro]

The couple was found shot to death in an upstairs bedroom on January 2, 2023. But police think they were actually killed a few days before on New Year's Eve. An autopsy report revealed that Rita had a gunshot wound in the back of her head and Richard had been shot in his temple. According to investigators, there were two 9 millimeter shell casings left behind at the scene.

[Andrea Canning]

So where did they Go from there. And what made them start to suspect that the Zyko's own daughter might have been involved in this?

[Rich Shapiro]

Yeah. They tracked down surveillance footage from the night of the murder, and in it, you can hear someone say, mom. According to investigators, Michelle was the Zyco's only daughter. Investigators went to visit Michelle at her home in Northern Vermont. She confirmed to them that she owned a 9 millimeter gun, the type used for the murders. And investigators later linked her to the purchase of ammunition that matched the casings found at the murder scene.

[Andrea Canning]

Michelle has denied any involvement in the crime. Did she provide a solid alibi to investigators as to where she'd been on the day of the murders?

[Rich Shapiro]

Michelle told investigators she was in Vermont on the day her parents were killed and that she hadn't spoken to them since January 2022.

[Nordstrom Rack Announcer]

Hmm.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Okay.

[Andrea Canning]

So they. They went to interview Michelle again about a week after this, and this time she's at a Pennsylvania hotel where she was staying for her parents funeral. And it sounds like a wild interaction took place, Rich.

[Rich Shapiro]

Yes, it was a strange sequence of events. So police arrived with a search warrant and found her with two other people at the hotel. The investigators took her to their state police barracks for questioning, but she refused to cooperate and left. The police had seized her car, so they told her to wait in the lobby of the police barracks so they could return the vehicle to her. But according to the affidavit, she just fled, leaving behind her car. And get this $40,000 in cash that was inside of it.

[Andrea Canning]

That is a lot of Money. That was January 2023. Michelle, as you said, fled and was missing for over two years. Police had no idea where she was until February of 2025.

[Rich Shapiro]

That's correct. And Michelle surfaced in rural Maryland in 2025 after a man called local police to say three people were on his property without his permission. Police arrived to find Michelle and two other people. They were arrested on trespassing and weapons charges, pleaded not guilty, and and have been in custody in Maryland since then.

[Andrea Canning]

Why are we just seeing murder charges now in connection to her parents deaths?

[Rich Shapiro]

So at a press conference, the prosecutor, Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, said that it took time to gather evidence and build a case. He talked about digital clues investigators had pieced together, including some text messages Michelle allegedly sent after the killings. He also referenced a note investigators say she wrote on her phone listing all the ways they, quote, effed up the murder. This included not getting rid of the shell casings that were found at the scene. This included not getting rid of the ammunition that was later recovered from her Vermont home that matched the shell casings

[Andrea Canning]

found at the scene.

[Rich Shapiro]

It goes on and on and on.

[Andrea Canning]

Something else. The DA said Rich in his presser that he does not believe Michelle acted alone.

[Rich Shapiro]

That's right. He said that a car can be seen on surveillance camera foot arriving at her parents home on the day of the murders and that two people got out of the car and entered the house. Prosecutors believe one of the individuals was Michelle, but couldn't clearly identify either person solely from that footage.

[Andrea Canning]

Although prosecutors have not identified this possible co conspirator, at the press conference, the DA did mention a group that Michelle Zyko has ties to called the Zizians. And in fact, this isn't the first time we've talked about this group on the podcast. Who are these Zizians?

[Rich Shapiro]

The Zizians have been described by various news outlets and prosecutors as a cult like group headed by someone named Jack Lasoda, who identifies as a woman and calls herself Ziz. Now, the group originated in Berkeley, California. Its members are very high IQ individuals, most of whom are vegans, who share an obsession about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Many of the members are trans women and they see themselves as people who can essentially save the world. Some of them have lived off the grid in California and elsewhere.

[Andrea Canning]

Rich, prosecutors say Michelle had ties to the Zizians. But is there anything else connecting the Zizians to the Zykos deaths?

[Rich Shapiro]

So the Delaware County DA said in his press conference that Michelle was in contact with a member of the Zizians both right before and after her parents murders on New Year's Eve 2022. But that's not all. Remember, there were two other people in the Pennsylvania Hotel when police went to talk to Michelle about the murders. One of them was Ziz, the leader of the Zizians. The that doesn't mean Ziz had anything to do with the Zyko's murders, but it does suggest Michelle was very close to the group. Prosecutors also allege that Michelle bought the guns used by two other Zizians in a shootout with Border Patrol agents in Vermont in January 2025. In that case, Agent David Mayland was killed during the shootout along with one of the Zizians. The surviving Zizian is facing two federal weapons charges, and it should be clear that Michelle has not been charged in connection to that case.

[Andrea Canning]

And there's one more case out of California that has been connected to the Zizians. Rich, what's that one all about?

[Rich Shapiro]

Yeah, and this one is also pretty wild and ultimately tragic. In 2022, members of the group were accused of assaulting an elderly man whose name is Curtis Lind, and he owned the property where Ziz was living at the time. And prosecutors allege group members attacked him with a samurai sword and actually impaled him. He survived that attack but lost an eye. Now the alleged attackers were set to go to trial in the spring of 2025. But in January of that year, Curtis Lind was fatally stabbed. Police arrested a group member named Maximilian Snyder and charged him with murder. Snyder pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and is awaiting trial.

[Andrea Canning]

Is there any sense by law enforcement or prosecutors that these alleged murders have anything to do with the Zizians ideology? If they're trying to stop or save the world from artificial intelligence, yeah, that's a tough one.

[Rich Shapiro]

When it comes to the murders of Michelle's parents, prosecutors allege it had something to do with the fraught family dynamic between Michelle and her parents. When it comes to the other deaths, nobody is saying they were part of any program by the Zizians to kill anyone.

[Andrea Canning]

What is next for the Zizians and also for Michelle Zyko?

[Rich Shapiro]

Michelle is still in jail in Maryland awaiting trial on trespassing and weapons charges, as is zyz, the group leader who was arrested with her. Michelle has still yet to be arraigned on the murder charges, and it sounds like the Delaware County DA is continuing to work on identifying the other person they think was involved in her parents deaths. And whether or not that person is a Zizian remains to be seen.

[Andrea Canning]

Rich, good job untangling all of this for us. We appreciate it.

[Rich Shapiro]

Thank you so much. My pleasure.

[Andrea Canning]

Up next, it's time for DATELINE Roundup. We're inside the courtroom for an emergency hearing in the Karen Reed wrongful death suit. And we've got the latest on the trial of the Colorado man accused of murdering his wife with animal tranquilizers. Plus, AI powered scams are flooding social media. Vicky Wynn shares how to protect yourself and your wallet.

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[Andrea Canning]

Welcome back. Joining me for this week's roundup is DATELINE supervising digital producer Veronica Mazeka. Hey, Veronica, thanks for being here. So we are starting off in Massachusetts with an update in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Karen Reed. As our listeners know, Reid was acquitted last summer for the murder of her police officer boyfriend, John o'. Keefe. Not long after that, o' Keeffe's family filed that lawsuit against her, which she is fighting. Here is the big development. The Plymouth Superior Court judge presiding over the case recently ordered an emergency hearing. Veronica, tell us, what is this emergency hearing about?

[Veronica Mazeka]

So last Wednesday, Judge Mark Gilday demanded attorneys in the case for both the state and the defense gather for an in person hearing. 18 attorneys in total were present, including Reed's celebrity defense attorney, Alan Jackson, who flew in from California to be there. Karen Reed was also there and the judge made it clear that this was no ordinary hearing, setting a very serious tone right off the bat.

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I find the quiet solemnity of the courtroom is a good reminder of the dignity by which courts are supposed to to function.

[Andrea Canning]

The judge went on to say that someone had leaked, quote, sensitive and private medical information from confidential court filings to a third party, which had then been posted on social media. Veronica, do we know what was leaked?

[Veronica Mazeka]

So the judge did not share details, but did give clues as to when the information was leaked. And it lines up with a deposition former Massachusetts state Trooper Michael Proctor had been scheduled to give in early June, but Proctor requested to delay it.

[Andrea Canning]

Did any of the attorneys say that they had leaked the information? Did they come forward?

[Veronica Mazeka]

No. They all denied being involved. But in this emergency hearing, the judge

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warned them, do not succumb to the attraction of seeking to influence this case through social media. Be what a trial lawyer should be, one that tries their case in the courtroom.

[Andrea Canning]

Did the attorneys have anything to say for themselves?

[Veronica Mazeka]

They didn't really get a chance to say anything before any of the attorneys could ask any questions or make any statements. The judge immediately filed out of the courtroom when he was done speaking, and Alan Jackson asked the court clerk if he could talk to the judge in chambers and was then denied.

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Wow.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay, we'll see what happens there. Next up, there was some news in a case that took me to the Bahamas earlier this year. The disappearance of a Michigan woman by the name of Lynette Hooker. Her husband Brian, told authorities back in April that she fell off a dinghy they were using to get back to their sailboat. And apparently it was rough waters that night in the Abaco Sea. As we've talked about before, Lynette's family has raised questions about Brian's story. He has denied having anything to do with Lynette's disappearance. She's never been found, but there is an ongoing U.S. coast Guard investigation into what might have happened to her. So, Veronica, what did we learn this week?

[Veronica Mazeka]

So this week, the U.S. coast Guard released video of the moment their team seized the couple's 45 foot long sailboat called the Soulmate. This happened in the waters off of Florida's east coast a month after Lynette vanished as the Soulmate was making its way back to the U.S. the video is pretty dramatic, and you can hear the Coast Guard sirens blaring as they approach the Soulmate. And they find two men on board.

[Rich Shapiro]

How many people on board?

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Okay.

[Rich Shapiro]

Any weapons on board?

[Vicky Wynn]

Okay.

[Rich Shapiro]

Do not reach for them.

[Veronica Mazeka]

You see a Coast Guard officer enter the boat with what looks like a semi automatic rifle.

[Rich Shapiro]

So right now the boat's being seized.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, okay. So who were they?

[Veronica Mazeka]

They were boat movers who told the Coast Guard that they were hired by Brian Hooker to sail the boat from the Bahamas to Fernandina beach in Florida.

[Andrea Canning]

We know that Brian returned to the United States a little over a week after Lynette went missing. That's what his attorney told us. Remind us where things stand right now in the investigation into her disappearance. Veronica, I know the Coast Guard is not saying a whole lot, but we are getting some hints here and there, Right?

[Veronica Mazeka]

So the Coast Guard announced that their search for Lynette in the Bahamas had concluded. Their law enforcement arm, the Coast Guard Investigative Services, is continuing their investigation into what happened to her.

[Andrea Canning]

Finally, Veronica, we've got a scheduling update for Barry Morphew, the Colorado dad who has been charged with murdering his wife Suzanne. Prosecutors say he used animal tranquilizers to kill her. Before we get to the latest, remind us about this complicated case.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Sure. So On Mother's Day 2020, 49 year old Suzanne Morphew went missing from her Colorado home. A year later, her husband Barry was charged with her murder. Even though her body had not been found, Barry maintained his innocence. And just days before his murder trial was scheduled to begin, the charges against him were dropped. Fast forward to 2023. Suzanne's remains were found and an autopsy revealed that she had animal tranquilizers in her system. According to his indictment, Barry Morphy was the only private citizen in that county in Colorado to have access to those drugs. He was charged again with her murder, pleaded not guilty and has been out on bail awaiting trial.

[Andrea Canning]

And that trial was expected to get underway this October. But a recent motion by the defense shook that up.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Yeah, it did. The defense requested a continuance, essentially a delay in the scheduled trial date due to what they said was, quote, a mountain of discovery that they are still sifting through. Apparently they're going through over 40 hours of video evidence ranging from body camera footage to interviews Barry gave. In the early days of the investigation, Suzanne's family said that they objected to any further delays. It has been six years since Suzanne disappeared. And remember, Suzanne and Barry's two daughters stand behind their father who they believe is innocent.

[Andrea Canning]

So everyone was back in court Monday. Did the judge make her ruling on the continuance request?

[Veronica Mazeka]

Yes. So the judge apologized to Suzanne's family, but did grant the delay. The new trial date is now July 19, 2027, and said we can expect the trial to last about six weeks.

[Andrea Canning]

All right, thank you for these updates, Veronica.

[Veronica Mazeka]

Of course. Thanks for having me.

[Andrea Canning]

You may have spent the July 4th weekend scrolling through social media looking for summer sales and deals and using social media to shop actually has a name. It's called social commerce. And it has become a multi billion dollar business in recent years. It's also become a prime stocking ground for scammers. According to a new Gallup survey, about 15 million Americans were scammed out of money last year. And 12% of those scams involved AI. From fake online stores to fake social media profiles, artificial intelligence is making scams more sophisticated and harder to spot than ever. But it's not just consumers who can end up as victims. My next guest, NBC News chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Wynn, is here to tell Us the story of a deepfake that was so convincing. A luxury watch dealer ended up behind bars.

[Rich Shapiro]

It felt like a fever dream, to

[Jerry (Pet Insurance)]

be honest with you.

[Rich Shapiro]

I was like, what the hell is going on?

[Andrea Canning]

Wow. Vicki, welcome to the show. It sounds fascinating.

[Vicky Wynn]

It's so good to be with you, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

You too. And let's, let's start with this case. Tell us what happened.

[Vicky Wynn]

This is a bonkers case. Earlier this year, 25 year old Tyler McCorsky, who millions of people actually know online as Vukam. He's a luxury watch dealer. He was on his way to the airport for a family vacation, his first trip ever to the Bahamas, when right as he was boarding, police arrested him on a felony warrant out of Florida. According to court documents, a 65 year old man believed that he had purchased a $6,000 luxury watch from Tyler through Facebook. He wired the money, but that watch never arrived. So investigators initially believed Tyler was responsible, even though Tyler says he's actually never even sold watches through Facebook.

[Andrea Canning]

So how did they figure out that they had the wrong person?

[Vicky Wynn]

So Tyler spent three days in jail while investigators continued looking into this case. And he told me that once officers explained why he was being arrested, he immediately started putting the pieces together.

[Rich Shapiro]

I was like, oh, like that was probably one of those scamming accounts using my name.

[Vicky Wynn]

Investigators eventually discovered someone else had created fake social media accounts using Tyler's name. His photos, his videos, they were basically impersonating him and scamming buyers. So authorities finally figured out it wasn't Tyler who was the scammer. He himself was actually a victim of an elaborate identity theft scheme. And that warrant was vacated and the charges were dropped.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, well, I'm very happy for Tyler that they figured this out. But he told you that this was not an isolated incident, that he's been dealing with fake accounts for a while now.

[Vicky Wynn]

Absolutely. Andrea. He says that scammers have been impersonating him for years. And he said that Facebook was one of the biggest problem platforms for him with fake account using his name and videos to target buyers. He says that he is constantly reporting those accounts.

[Andrea Canning]

What is Facebook doing to prevent this from happening?

[Vicky Wynn]

Yeah, when we started looking into this, we reached out to Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook. They told us they have continued to invest in technology that is aimed at preventing situations like this from happening. But Tyler told us it really just feels like a game of whack a mole because new fake accounts keep appearing.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. And as technology and AI continues to advance, you'd have to think that these Scams are going to be harder and harder to detect. I mean, with all the tools that they have to make them more convincing.

[Vicky Wynn]

No, absolutely. AI now can clone voices. It can generate very convincing messages. It can create fake customer conversations and even produce videos that look legitimate and authentic.

[Andrea Canning]

What are some warning signs that consumers should look out for before sending money online?

[Vicky Wynn]

First thing is just to slow down, take a beat, pause, really investigate that account because scammers are relying on you making a rash decision. You know, it's a time limited offer. This sale is going to disappear. So you got to just act now. So don't fall for that fake urgency that they're creating. Try to look for the verified social media account. Never click on links that are sent to you in a message. Look for the official website. And if you're not sure, maybe it's a retailer you haven't dealt with before. Enter the name of that retailer into like a Google search and add the word scam and see what kind of articles and comments come up. And for expensive purchases, you want to ask for additional verification, like a live video call in this era, Andrea, remember that seeing is no longer believing. I think it's so important. We just have to be extra cautious, extra skeptical because AI content is so convincing these days.

[Andrea Canning]

Vicki, you always have the best advice. Thank you for bringing us this latest scam that we're now dealing with. Because it's always something, right?

[Vicky Wynn]

It's always something, unfortunately. But that's what we're here for. Andrea, thank you. Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

That's it for this episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly. To get ad free listening for all our podcasts, subscribe to Dateline Premium. Coming up this Friday, Blaine's got an all new episode about a woman who vanished from her Kentucky home, but not before leaving behind clues that ultimately led investigators to her killer.

[Veronica Mazeka]

You're a mean.

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Yes.

[Veronica Mazeka]

You're a monster.

[Andrea Canning]

Watch the bluegrass mystery this Friday at 10, 9 Central. Thanks for listening. Dateline True Crime Weekly is produced by Carson Cummins, Caroline Casey and Keani Reed. Our associate producers are Ellery Gladstone Groth and Aria Young. Our senior producer is Liz Brown Kurloff production and fact checking help by Yana Johnson. Veronica Mazeka is our digital producer. Rick Kwan is our sound designer. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.

[Alexa Alexis Rivas]

Okay, see you later.

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Thanks.

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