Authorities report that a bowling coach in Michigan fatally shot a 17-year-old girl, a member of her high school bowling team.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Nicole Parton.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In Michigan, authorities report that a bowling coach has fatally
shot a seventeen year old girl, a member of her
high school bowling team. According to Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnow,
thirty three year old Ryan Least shot Gwynn Smith at
her stepfather's home on Saturday. The sheriff indicated that Least
gained access to the home and fired multiple shots at
(00:26):
the teenager before turning the gun on himself. Investigators are
currently working to determine how Least was able to enter
the house. Smith had recently graduated from Bedford High School
and was part of the club bowling team that Least coached,
the sheriff noted. On Tuesday, the Sheriff's office clarified that
Least was not an official coach for Bedford Public Schools,
(00:50):
which led to some confusion. However, on Wednesday, Sheriff Goodnow
explained that Least was indeed a bowling coach for the club,
but was not an employee of the school district. He
added that a photo of Least with the bowling team
appeared in the twenty twenty four yearbook.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I would like to start by saying it has been
a difficult four and a half days. The photograph did
appear of him with the bowling team in the twenty
four to twenty five yearbook. The details of the relationship
are not clear at this time, although it was believed
that Gwenlyn did not consider the relation between the two
(01:28):
of them to be romantic. Trust us that we're going
to do the right thing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Least was compensated through Forestview Lanes, the bowling alley where
he worked previously. At the time of the tragic incident,
he was no longer employed there. Officials could not provide
specific details about when he left or the reason for
his departure, but they suggested he had resigned shortly before
the shooting. Sheriff good Now stated that there is no
(01:52):
evidence to suggest that Smith and Least had a romantic relationship,
and Smith did not view Least as a romantic interest.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Just five days
prior to the incident, good Now mentioned that there was
communication between Least and Smith, though he did not provide
any further details. It is also not known how long
(02:14):
the two had known each other. The investigation is ongoing.
The sheriff indicated that the leadership at Bedford Local Schools
has activated their crisis management team to help support students
who were close to Smith.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Or who may need assistance.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Good Now emphasize that any community member can reach out
to the Central Dispatch to access those resources. Additionally, the
sheriff stated that this murder suicide is unrelated to a
case of two other teenagers found dead from gunshot wounds
in the same area or Crime and Justice News. After this,
(02:53):
the tragic deaths of an engaged couple found in a
Georgia lake have been attributed to accidental drownings. Joscelyn Nicole
Wilson and Gary Jones were discovered missing after their boat
was located unattended on Lake Oconey on February eighth. While
Wilson's body was discovered the next day, Jones' remains were
not found until March nine. As reported by CBS News,
(03:16):
Putman County Sheriff Howard Seals confirmed that the medical examiner's
report classified their deaths as accidental drowning and the investigation
into the case has been closed. At the time of
the incident, the couple was celebrating Jones's fiftieth birthday. Sheriff
Siles noted that Wilson, a forty nine year old educator
at Spelman College, and Jones, a track and field coach
(03:39):
at a local private school, had checked into a nearby
hotel for the occasion. A childhood friend of Wilson revealed
to CBS that the couple had rekindled their relationship after
attending Clark Atlanta University together and had recently became engaged.
The couple's twelve foot boat was reported to be circling
near Wallace Dam and was spot by fellow boters, who
(04:01):
later discovered that they had struck a dock. Additionally, Joan's
shoes were found floating about fifteen feet apart along from
the shore on February ten, just six days prior to
the recovery of Joan's body. The sheriff commented on the
extensive search effort, stating on the Putnam County Sheriff's Office page,
I cannot recall such a comprehensive deployment of government and
(04:24):
civilian resources ever for a situation like this on Lake Ulcone.
He expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in
the search. The sheriff concluded by acknowledging the support from
the community, saying, I also wish to convey my gratitude
to the numerous individuals and businesses who generously provided food
and drinks while we continued the search efforts. And now
(04:47):
there is closure for the family. And finally, here's a
story with an unusual plot twist. A drug dealer stole
an eight hundred pound cannon that canon was used in
the Spanish American War. He stole it from a in Kansas,
trying to settle a debt to his boss, who he
said had threatened to kill him and his family. Thirty
eight year old Gordon Pierce was arrested after the seventeen
(05:10):
ninety four cannon went missing from its podium in Wichitap Park.
It was later found to be chopped into pieces. Pierce
told police that he was a meth user for about
twenty years and that he owed his dealer twenty thousand
dollars after a pound of meth he was supposed.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
To steal reportedly was stolen.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He said his dealer threatened to shoot him and his
family if he didn't come up with the cash to
pay off the debt, so he went looking for cash,
and the distressed drug user said he planned to sell
copper to make some money. He told police that he
allegedly hatched the crackpot plan to steal the cannon. After
driving around in desperation looking for copper statues, he came
(05:48):
across Riverside Park, where this massive artifact had been a
fixture since nineteen hundred. He told police that the reason
he targeted the cannon was because it was in a
dark place. Pierce then he recruited the help of a
homeless man. He bribed him with a pipe and drugs.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
He said.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
The two men got high on meth before trying to
use their muscles to lift the eight hundred pound cannon
into the back of his truck. He said it was
too heavy, so next they hooked up a chain attached
it to the truck's hitch so the criminal mastermind could
toe the cannon away, except when he began dragging it
through the city streets, the chain snapped in front of
(06:25):
an automotive shop. He said he abandoned the cannon there
and fled to a friend's house to get a new chain.
Pierce used the new chain to drag it to a
friend's house, where he hid the cannon in the garage,
he said. Inside the garage, he allegedly chopped the cannon
into five big chunks and took some of that to
the drug dealer's house in hopes that would settle the debt.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
But the drug dealer was mad, he said.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
According to the police report, he called him stupid and
told him he was going to bring heat to his
house before yelling get out. Since he didn't have an
ID that was required to sell scrap metal, Pierce had
no real plan for pawning his eight hundred pound historical cannon.
The next time he saw him, the furious drug dealer
allegedly told Pierce he was going to shoot him in
(07:09):
the head because he hadn't paid his debt. Terrified, Pierce
did what all good criminals do. He went to his
mom's house, He confessed to her, and fell asleep. When
he woke up, cops were there, and they arrested him.
The swift investigation shows the dedication and commitment to the
police to solve the crime. Officials from Whichita's Parks and
(07:30):
Recreation estimated the canon is worth more than one hundred
thousand dollars and pierced caused ten thousand dollars worth of
damage to the granite pedestal during his shall we say
crackpot idea. Pierce is being held on a two hundred
thousand dollars bond, his debt still unpaid. For the latest
crime injustice news. Follow Crime Alert hourly update on your
(07:54):
favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
I'm Nico Parton.
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Nicole Parton.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In Michigan, authorities report that a bowling coach has fatally
shot a seventeen year old girl, a member of her
high school bowling team. According to Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnow,
thirty three year old Ryan Least shot Gwynn Smith at
her stepfather's home on Saturday. The sheriff indicated that Least
gained access to the home and fired multiple shots at
(00:26):
the teenager before turning the gun on himself. Investigators are
currently working to determine how Least was able to enter
the house. Smith had recently graduated from Bedford High School
and was part of the club bowling team that Least coached,
the sheriff noted. On Tuesday, the Sheriff's office clarified that
Least was not an official coach for Bedford Public Schools,
(00:50):
which led to some confusion. However, on Wednesday, Sheriff Goodnow
explained that Least was indeed a bowling coach for the club,
but was not an employee of the school district. He
added that a photo of Least with the bowling team
appeared in the twenty twenty four yearbook.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I would like to start by saying it has been
a difficult four and a half days. The photograph did
appear of him with the bowling team in the twenty
four to twenty five yearbook. The details of the relationship
are not clear at this time, although it was believed
that Gwenlyn did not consider the relation between the two
(01:28):
of them to be romantic. Trust us that we're going
to do the right thing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Least was compensated through Forestview Lanes, the bowling alley where
he worked previously. At the time of the tragic incident,
he was no longer employed there. Officials could not provide
specific details about when he left or the reason for
his departure, but they suggested he had resigned shortly before
the shooting. Sheriff good Now stated that there is no
(01:52):
evidence to suggest that Smith and Least had a romantic relationship,
and Smith did not view Least as a romantic interest.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Just five days
prior to the incident, good Now mentioned that there was
communication between Least and Smith, though he did not provide
any further details. It is also not known how long
(02:14):
the two had known each other. The investigation is ongoing.
The sheriff indicated that the leadership at Bedford Local Schools
has activated their crisis management team to help support students
who were close to Smith.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Or who may need assistance.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Good Now emphasize that any community member can reach out
to the Central Dispatch to access those resources. Additionally, the
sheriff stated that this murder suicide is unrelated to a
case of two other teenagers found dead from gunshot wounds
in the same area or Crime and Justice News. After this,
(02:53):
the tragic deaths of an engaged couple found in a
Georgia lake have been attributed to accidental drownings. Joscelyn Nicole
Wilson and Gary Jones were discovered missing after their boat
was located unattended on Lake Oconey on February eighth. While
Wilson's body was discovered the next day, Jones' remains were
not found until March nine. As reported by CBS News,
(03:16):
Putman County Sheriff Howard Seals confirmed that the medical examiner's
report classified their deaths as accidental drowning and the investigation
into the case has been closed. At the time of
the incident, the couple was celebrating Jones's fiftieth birthday. Sheriff
Siles noted that Wilson, a forty nine year old educator
at Spelman College, and Jones, a track and field coach
(03:39):
at a local private school, had checked into a nearby
hotel for the occasion. A childhood friend of Wilson revealed
to CBS that the couple had rekindled their relationship after
attending Clark Atlanta University together and had recently became engaged.
The couple's twelve foot boat was reported to be circling
near Wallace Dam and was spot by fellow boters, who
(04:01):
later discovered that they had struck a dock. Additionally, Joan's
shoes were found floating about fifteen feet apart along from
the shore on February ten, just six days prior to
the recovery of Joan's body. The sheriff commented on the
extensive search effort, stating on the Putnam County Sheriff's Office page,
I cannot recall such a comprehensive deployment of government and
(04:24):
civilian resources ever for a situation like this on Lake Ulcone.
He expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in
the search. The sheriff concluded by acknowledging the support from
the community, saying, I also wish to convey my gratitude
to the numerous individuals and businesses who generously provided food
and drinks while we continued the search efforts. And now
(04:47):
there is closure for the family. And finally, here's a
story with an unusual plot twist. A drug dealer stole
an eight hundred pound cannon that canon was used in
the Spanish American War. He stole it from a in Kansas,
trying to settle a debt to his boss, who he
said had threatened to kill him and his family. Thirty
eight year old Gordon Pierce was arrested after the seventeen
(05:10):
ninety four cannon went missing from its podium in Wichitap Park.
It was later found to be chopped into pieces. Pierce
told police that he was a meth user for about
twenty years and that he owed his dealer twenty thousand
dollars after a pound of meth he was supposed.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
To steal reportedly was stolen.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
He said his dealer threatened to shoot him and his
family if he didn't come up with the cash to
pay off the debt, so he went looking for cash,
and the distressed drug user said he planned to sell
copper to make some money. He told police that he
allegedly hatched the crackpot plan to steal the cannon. After
driving around in desperation looking for copper statues, he came
(05:48):
across Riverside Park, where this massive artifact had been a
fixture since nineteen hundred. He told police that the reason
he targeted the cannon was because it was in a
dark place. Pierce then he recruited the help of a
homeless man. He bribed him with a pipe and drugs.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
He said.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
The two men got high on meth before trying to
use their muscles to lift the eight hundred pound cannon
into the back of his truck. He said it was
too heavy, so next they hooked up a chain attached
it to the truck's hitch so the criminal mastermind could
toe the cannon away, except when he began dragging it
through the city streets, the chain snapped in front of
(06:25):
an automotive shop. He said he abandoned the cannon there
and fled to a friend's house to get a new chain.
Pierce used the new chain to drag it to a
friend's house, where he hid the cannon in the garage,
he said. Inside the garage, he allegedly chopped the cannon
into five big chunks and took some of that to
the drug dealer's house in hopes that would settle the debt.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
But the drug dealer was mad, he said.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
According to the police report, he called him stupid and
told him he was going to bring heat to his
house before yelling get out. Since he didn't have an
ID that was required to sell scrap metal, Pierce had
no real plan for pawning his eight hundred pound historical cannon.
The next time he saw him, the furious drug dealer
allegedly told Pierce he was going to shoot him in
(07:09):
the head because he hadn't paid his debt. Terrified, Pierce
did what all good criminals do. He went to his
mom's house, He confessed to her, and fell asleep. When
he woke up, cops were there, and they arrested him.
The swift investigation shows the dedication and commitment to the
police to solve the crime. Officials from Whichita's Parks and
(07:30):
Recreation estimated the canon is worth more than one hundred
thousand dollars and pierced caused ten thousand dollars worth of
damage to the granite pedestal during his shall we say
crackpot idea. Pierce is being held on a two hundred
thousand dollars bond, his debt still unpaid. For the latest
crime injustice news. Follow Crime Alert hourly update on your
(07:54):
favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
I'm Nico Parton.
Host
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