Law&Crime Sidebar

Kelly Coppola and her boyfriend Kenny Pohlman were found dead inside a Long Island home, allegedly targeted by Kelly’s ex-husband, Daniel Coppola. Authorities say Coppola had his teenage daughter wait in the car outside the home while he shot her mother and Kenny. Law&Crime’s Elizabeth Millner spoke with Kenny’s brothers, Tom and John Pohlman, about their tragic loss. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW:...

A Florida judge forced Sarah Boone to represent herself in her murder trial after nine different attorneys withdrew from her case, many because of the way Boone treated them. But now the alleged killer will have outside representation. A law firm appears to have responded to a handwritten “help wanted” ad Boone posted. Boone is accused of zipping her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, into a suitcase and le...

Matthew Coleman, a Santa Barbara surf instructor with QAnon beliefs, allegedly kidnapped both of his young children and crossed the border with them into Mexico. He’s accused of killing the 2-year-old and 10-month-old with a gun used for spearfishing, because he feared they had "serpent DNA." As he faces federal charges, Coleman has reportedly started to self-harm while behind bars. Law&Crime’...

Maecee Lathers, 24, a self-proclaimed artist and model, was allegedly driving 80 mph when her Mercedes-Benz caused a chain reaction in Miami. A judge increased Lathers’ bond after the prosecutor added new charges of reckless driving and vehicular homicide. Law&Crime’s Sierra Gillespie examines the latest evidence with Florida criminal defense attorney Melba Pearson. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Do...

Lake County deputies say Tyshael Martin, 34, encouraged her rottweiler to attack her boyfriend’s 9-year-old daughter, Jamaria. Investigators found security camera footage they say shows Martin hitting and kicking Jamaria before allegedly saying “I’m fixin’ to kill her.” Law&Crime’s Sierra Gillespie with Florida criminal defense attorney Melba Pearson about the disturbing allegations. PLEASE SU...

A social media influencer in Miami says she’s lucky to be alive after her estranged stepfather, Luis Damas, allegedly pushed his way into an apartment and shot at her. Eixchel Berroteran and her mother filed a report against Damas, saying he attacked them and shot at Eixchel, before threatening to hire a hitman to kill them. Law&Crime’s Sierra Gillespie spoke with Christine Gallo, a former pro...

Fire rescue Lieutenant Sascha Engel is on unpaid leave after his arrest alongside his wife on sex crimes charges. An affidavit revealed that Sascha Engel, 39, and his wife Alyssa Engel, 37, allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old boy. Law&Crime’s Elizabeth Millner sat down with former sex crimes prosecutor Sarena Townsend to discuss the possible evidence available in this case,...

Palm Bay police officers arrested Beatriz Rapisarda, after teaching aides inside an elementary school classroom reported her. Rapisarda now faces charges of child abuse and false imprisonment. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the allegations of pushing, pulling, and even pinning the student down with civil attorney Faudlin Pierre. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Download the FREE Upside App at htt...

Surveillance video from inside and outside a Miami Home Depot store shows registered sex offender Kevin Hurley, 60, allegedly speaking with a 10-year-old girl who was with her mom. When the alleged victim went out to the parking lot, Hurley reportedly followed behind them with his car. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber discusses Hurley’s charge of aggravated stalking of a minor with sex abuse attorney J...

Lindsay Shiver, the mom of three accused of planning to kill her husband with her boyfriend in the Bahamas, now says her new partner back in the United States “tried to kill her.” Shiver filed for a protection order against Dorsey Robert Love in Alabama. She claims he tried to suffocate her with a pillow. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber discusses updates on Shiver’s case in the Bahamas and these lates...

Investigators in Harris County, Texas are trying to figure out who may have set a home on fire in the city of Cypress. Crews responded to put out the flames last weekend and found the bodies of three people inside. They were identified as 54-year-old Kelly Ann Masciarelli, her son Kolin Foster, 23, and his girlfriend Cameryn Richard, 21. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes the case with arson inv...

Owen Shover, now 23, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Aranda Briones, 16, in Moreno Valley, California. Prosecutors say Briones and Shover had been skipping school back in 2017 when a truancy officer approached them. Shover tried to get Briones to hide a gun for him, but Briones told the officer what happened. Both students were expelled from the high school. Law&Crime’s Je...

Jackson County, Tennessee authorities have added additional charges in the case of a mother and daughter who allegedly used multiple toxins to try to kill Harold Allen, apparently succeeding in December 2022. Marsha Allen, 52, was found dead of an apparent suicide when police caught on to the alleged scheme. Her daughter, 30-year-old Ashley Jones, was jailed on charges of murder and attempted...

Maria Ximena Duarte, 45, is locked up in Miami-Dade County for allegedly plying a 15-year-old girl with alcohol and marijuana at a hotel pool before convincing her to come to her hotel room, where the teen was allegedly sexually assaulted. She faces serious charges, including human trafficking. Jason Mojica, Duarte’s boyfriend, was also arrested for his alleged participation. Law&Crime’s Jesse...

After Kali Moore died in a children’s hospital last weekend, Memphis police arrested her aunt, Kiya Moore, 21 and her boyfriend Dejon Smith, 34. The couple gave conflicting statements to police, each blaming the other for the baby’s death. They are each charged with murder. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes the techniques involved in child murder investigations with former crime scene inve...

Maecee Marie Lathers, 24, allegedly told officers at the scene of a three-car crash in Miami that she was under the influence of a party drug known as “tusi” or “pink cocaine.” Lathers allegedly ran a red light and slammed into a Range Rover, causing a chain reaction crash that killed two people and injured two others. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes what the judge had to say during Lathers’...

South Carolina attorney and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has the chance of a retrial thanks to a new ruling. Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul on the family’s estate in 2021. After the trial was over, court clerk Becky Hill was accused of trying to influence the jury to convict Murdaugh. The South Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against a new mur...

Andie Rosafort, 33, admitted in court that she had sex with a teen in her car in Danbury, Connecticut in January 2023. The boy reported the assault to his parents soon afterward, which launched an investigation. Rosafort allegedly groomed the boy for months prior to the assault, sending him explicit photos and videos on Snapchat. Law&Crime’s Elizabeth Millner spoke with former sex crimes prose...

A Colorado inmate, Alfredo P. Gonzalez, filed a defamation lawsuit against infamous music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, claiming his refusal to work with the rapper resulted in him being blacklisted. Gonzalez claims to be a member of the Sinaloa cartel smuggling drugs from Mexico. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber analyzes the peculiar civil filing and what a federal judge decided to do with it. PLEASE SUPP...

Madison Bergmann, 24, has been out on bond since her arrest for first-degree sexual assault against a child. A fifth-grader told police the elementary school teacher sent him inappropriate messages, touched his legs, and kissed him in her empty classroom. According to her bond conditions, Bergmann is not allowed to be in any places where children might be present. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber discu...

Newly released body camera video shows Butler Township police reacting to the chaos right before and after shots were fired at a Pennsylvania rally for former president and current presidential nominee Donald Trump. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a sniper. Bullets killed one civilian, injured two others, and hit Trump in the ear. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber walks us through the...

Kenneth Copeland, also known as “Lil Woody,” is back on the stand in the RICO trial of Jeffrey “Young Thug” Williams in Atlanta. Prosecutors wanted Copeland to confirm that Williams was connected to a drive-by shooting, which he had previously told Atlanta Police. Copeland insisted he made the whole thing up to divert attention away from his own criminal activity. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber takes...

Joshua Lee Hunsucker could have his $1.5 million bond revoked after prosecutors filed new charges of witness intimidation against him. Investigators accuse Hunsucker of poisoning his 10-year-old daughter in an attempt to frame his in-laws. Hunsucker had already been charged with his wife Stacy Hunsucker’s 2018 murder, also believed to have been caused by eye drop poisoning. Law&Crime’s Elizabe...

Two Oklahoma women, Zara Hull and Kaylie Pitzer, were on a dream vacation with their boyfriends in Cancun, when both became violently ill after they say they drank water from the hotel bar. Zara was hospitalized after she started having convulsions. Family back home in Oklahoma say they had to pay the Mexican hospital thousands of dollars just to treat Zara, then even more to have her released and...

A Minnesota jury found Michael Carpenter, 38, guilty of shooting his co-worker, Nicole Hammond, killing her in the parking lot of the building where they worked. Text messages between the two show that Hammond wanted Carpenter to leave her alone. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber has insight from Dan Murphy, co-author of the book "Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program."...