November 24, 2025 • 5 mins
A Missouri child rape and murder case now brings a new arrest as the mother of a 2-year-old boy is charged in connection with his killing. Federal investigators now say a loose wire caused the power failure that sent the cargo ship Dali into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, as the crew at the center of the disaster is still stuck in the city nearly 19 months later. Drew Nelson reports.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime al Art hourly update breaking crime news.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Now like my high said.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm Drew Nelson. A Missouri child rape and murder case
now brings a new arrest as the mother of a
two year old boy is charged in connection with his killing.
Police in Saint Louis arrested twenty one year old Bianca
Wells for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.
This charge coming weeks after the death of her son, Brion.
Wells detective said she left him in the care of
(00:26):
twenty one year old Nico Cotton, who later admitted to
sexually assaulting and strangling the child. Cotton turned himself in
on October thirtieth. Prosecutors charged to him with second degree murder,
forcible sodomy, statutory sodomy, and abuse of a child resulting
in death. Brion was found unresponsive ems taking him to
the hospital. Doctors finding evidence of strangulation, a lacerated liver,
(00:48):
and injuries consistent with sexual assault. The medical examiner ruled
the case a homicide in the homicide division then took
over the case. Two adults who were with the child
were questioned and released, pending more work by detectives.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I feel like my baby was safe and he was okay,
and he would look at it and he wasn't.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
That's beyoncle Well speaking with Kmov before her arrest, speaking
here in the third person.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I feel like my baby was put in positions he
shouldn't have to be in because of his MoMA not
having much support in her life, and nobody's be there
for her. So just support y'all, family, be there for them,
because you could be like me and I have nothing.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well said, she cannot rest until justice has served to
Nico Cotton.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Once I can look him in his eyes and know
that he's going to sit behind the sales for the
rest of his life Ivory.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
A balloon release honored the boy as neighbors and pastors
called for unity and accountability. Police continue asking anyone with
information to contact crime stoppers. More Crime Man Justice News
after this, Federal investigators now say a loose wire caused
(01:58):
the power failure that sent the cargo ship Dalli into
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, as the crew at the
center of the disaster is still stuck in the city.
Nearly nineteen months later, nine men from India and Sri
Lanka remain in Baltimore, as federal work continues and as
US authorities decide whether anyone tied to the ship's ownership
(02:18):
or operation will face criminal charges. The National Transportation Safety
Board found that a single wire label slid out of
place and kept the wire from seating in its terminal.
That flaw led to a blackout, loss of propulsion, and
loss of steering. The Dohlli was already too close to
the bridge for the crew to recover power and time.
Board member Michael Graham said quote the crew's actions were
(02:41):
as timely as they could be, and also called their
efforts quote appropriate and also impressive under the conditions. The
board approved recommendations to prevent similar failures. It said infrared
inspections could have spotted the loose wire. It also said
the Maryland Transportation Authority never assessed the bridge's vulnerable to
such a strike, even though industry groups had urged that
(03:03):
step years earlier. Chair Jennifer Homendi said quote, this tragedy
should have never occurred and called the collapse preventable. The
ship was headed for Sri Lanka when it hit a
support column on March twenty sixth to twenty twenty four,
killing six road crew members and shutting the port's main
channel until June. The board also found that poor communication
(03:23):
kept the city's road workers from evacuating the bridge in time,
though police were able to stop traffic and prevent more deaths.
Joshua Messick, who leads the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, tells
WYPR the NTSB finding eased some of the pressure on
the crew. He says, quote that was a huge boost
to them after months of fear that they were being
(03:44):
blamed for the crash. He says, the men understand the
loss of life and the scale of the damage and
have quote just been sitting with this. The Dahlie has
gone back into service for the shipping company Grace Ocean Ltd.
With a new crew. The company has not said when
the men can return home or reclaim their travel documents.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the agency has quote
(04:06):
no additional information to provide at this time. Amanda Deguillo
was twenty four when she went missing from her home
in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on August twenty seventh of twenty fourteen.
She left without clothing, credit cards, or her cell phone,
but more importantly, her two daughters were left behind. Authorities
say she did not drive, but it is unclear she
(04:26):
left alone or with someone. Her mother, Joanne Deguillo, has
pressed for answers. The family says trafficking is one possibility,
and they have followed leeds to that end over the
years without resolution. Amanda's daughters have built a public tribute
to her. KYW reports that Ava, Marie and Sophia were
three and five when their mother disappeared. The FBI is involved,
(04:47):
listing her height as five feet two inches tall one
hundred and fifteen pounds. She is white with brown hair,
blue eyes, and a diagonal surgical scar on her upper
and lower stomach. She may suffer from bipolar disorder and
need medication, previously having struggled with heroin addiction. She has
several tattoos, including a lipstick mark on her right buttock,
the country of Italy and the word Tommy on her
(05:09):
right torso, writing under one of her breasts, her initials
on the top of one of her fingers, and the
letters MF on the inside of her lower lip. She
would be thirty five today. If you have information on
the disappearance of Amanda Deguillo called eight hundred, call FBI
or go to Tips dot FBI dot gov for the
latest crime and justice news. Follow crime alerts hourly update
(05:29):
on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm
Drew Nelson.
Crime al Art hourly update breaking crime news.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Now like my high said.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm Drew Nelson. A Missouri child rape and murder case
now brings a new arrest as the mother of a
two year old boy is charged in connection with his killing.
Police in Saint Louis arrested twenty one year old Bianca
Wells for endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death.
This charge coming weeks after the death of her son, Brion.
Wells detective said she left him in the care of
(00:26):
twenty one year old Nico Cotton, who later admitted to
sexually assaulting and strangling the child. Cotton turned himself in
on October thirtieth. Prosecutors charged to him with second degree murder,
forcible sodomy, statutory sodomy, and abuse of a child resulting
in death. Brion was found unresponsive ems taking him to
the hospital. Doctors finding evidence of strangulation, a lacerated liver,
(00:48):
and injuries consistent with sexual assault. The medical examiner ruled
the case a homicide in the homicide division then took
over the case. Two adults who were with the child
were questioned and released, pending more work by detectives.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I feel like my baby was safe and he was okay,
and he would look at it and he wasn't.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
That's beyoncle Well speaking with Kmov before her arrest, speaking
here in the third person.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I feel like my baby was put in positions he
shouldn't have to be in because of his MoMA not
having much support in her life, and nobody's be there
for her. So just support y'all, family, be there for them,
because you could be like me and I have nothing.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well said, she cannot rest until justice has served to
Nico Cotton.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Once I can look him in his eyes and know
that he's going to sit behind the sales for the
rest of his life Ivory.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
A balloon release honored the boy as neighbors and pastors
called for unity and accountability. Police continue asking anyone with
information to contact crime stoppers. More Crime Man Justice News
after this, Federal investigators now say a loose wire caused
(01:58):
the power failure that sent the cargo ship Dalli into
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, as the crew at the
center of the disaster is still stuck in the city.
Nearly nineteen months later, nine men from India and Sri
Lanka remain in Baltimore, as federal work continues and as
US authorities decide whether anyone tied to the ship's ownership
(02:18):
or operation will face criminal charges. The National Transportation Safety
Board found that a single wire label slid out of
place and kept the wire from seating in its terminal.
That flaw led to a blackout, loss of propulsion, and
loss of steering. The Dohlli was already too close to
the bridge for the crew to recover power and time.
Board member Michael Graham said quote the crew's actions were
(02:41):
as timely as they could be, and also called their
efforts quote appropriate and also impressive under the conditions. The
board approved recommendations to prevent similar failures. It said infrared
inspections could have spotted the loose wire. It also said
the Maryland Transportation Authority never assessed the bridge's vulnerable to
such a strike, even though industry groups had urged that
(03:03):
step years earlier. Chair Jennifer Homendi said quote, this tragedy
should have never occurred and called the collapse preventable. The
ship was headed for Sri Lanka when it hit a
support column on March twenty sixth to twenty twenty four,
killing six road crew members and shutting the port's main
channel until June. The board also found that poor communication
(03:23):
kept the city's road workers from evacuating the bridge in time,
though police were able to stop traffic and prevent more deaths.
Joshua Messick, who leads the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, tells
WYPR the NTSB finding eased some of the pressure on
the crew. He says, quote that was a huge boost
to them after months of fear that they were being
(03:44):
blamed for the crash. He says, the men understand the
loss of life and the scale of the damage and
have quote just been sitting with this. The Dahlie has
gone back into service for the shipping company Grace Ocean Ltd.
With a new crew. The company has not said when
the men can return home or reclaim their travel documents.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the agency has quote
(04:06):
no additional information to provide at this time. Amanda Deguillo
was twenty four when she went missing from her home
in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on August twenty seventh of twenty fourteen.
She left without clothing, credit cards, or her cell phone,
but more importantly, her two daughters were left behind. Authorities
say she did not drive, but it is unclear she
(04:26):
left alone or with someone. Her mother, Joanne Deguillo, has
pressed for answers. The family says trafficking is one possibility,
and they have followed leeds to that end over the
years without resolution. Amanda's daughters have built a public tribute
to her. KYW reports that Ava, Marie and Sophia were
three and five when their mother disappeared. The FBI is involved,
(04:47):
listing her height as five feet two inches tall one
hundred and fifteen pounds. She is white with brown hair,
blue eyes, and a diagonal surgical scar on her upper
and lower stomach. She may suffer from bipolar disorder and
need medication, previously having struggled with heroin addiction. She has
several tattoos, including a lipstick mark on her right buttock,
the country of Italy and the word Tommy on her
(05:09):
right torso, writing under one of her breasts, her initials
on the top of one of her fingers, and the
letters MF on the inside of her lower lip. She
would be thirty five today. If you have information on
the disappearance of Amanda Deguillo called eight hundred, call FBI
or go to Tips dot FBI dot gov for the
latest crime and justice news. Follow crime alerts hourly update
(05:29):
on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm
Drew Nelson.
Host
Nancy Grace
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