August 23, 2025 • 11 mins
Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert
Here's some of our top stories this week:
Jury now set in Donna Adelson's murder trial. She is accused of being one of the orchestrators in the murder-for-hire of Dan Markel, her former son-in-law and a beloved Florida State University law professor.
His phone got taken away, so he shot & killed his dad. Now, this teen is walking free, thanks to his mom.
More than 20 years after her murder, the husband of Melissa Wolfenbarger is on trial.
The chilling last message 18-year-old Kylee Monteiro sent her sister before she vanished. Two weeks later, police found her body buried on her boyfriend’s property.
Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alard hourly update breaking crime news Now, I'm Jackie Howard.
A jury is now set in Donna Adelson's murder trial.
She's accused of being one of the masterminds behind the
murder for hire of Van Markel, her former son in law,
and a beloved Florida State University law professor. Authorities alleged
Donna Adleson conspired with her son, Charlie and his then girlfriend.
(00:25):
They were both convicted and now serving life in prison,
along with two other hired hit men. After Charlie Adelson's conviction,
police swarm in and arrest his mother at Miami Airport
as she and husband Harvey are trying to board a
one way ticket to Vietnam, a non extradition country. This
(00:45):
after being caught during a jailhouse phone call.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Investigators caught wind that Charlie Eedelson's conviction was pushing his
mom to do something drastic. During one of the calls,
Donna Adelson tells her son Charlie that they are looking
at places to see if they have extradition, and she's
extradition from Vietnam.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
We've been looking it up over and over.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
The things changed.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
If there is extradition, from Vietnam because we've listed all
the places. I mean, I could go to Korea and
China but did no extraditions, but looking for places with
is no extradition.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
One week after that call, Donna and Harvey Aedelson book
a one way ticket to Vietnam and are waiting for
their flight at Miami International Airport when officers arrive and
handcuffed the seventy three year old grandmother and escort her
out of the airport into a waiting squad car. Donna
Aedelson is facing first degree murder and solicitation of murder charges.
When Dan Markle was killed in his driveway, Authorities believe
(01:37):
there was a conspiracy involving several people, including Donna Aedelson,
who got the money and paid the killer.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
More than ten years have passed since two Miami gang
members traveled to Tallahassee to murder Dan Markel in his garage.
The dedicated father of two boys succumb to his injuries
the following day. Prosecutors claimed they hit accurred shortly after
a court ruling in mark Hall's favor, stating that his
ex wife, Wendy Adelson, was denied relocation with their two
(02:06):
young boys from Tallahassee to South Florida, where Wendy's wealthy
family resides. If convicted, Donna Adelson faces first degree murder, conspiracy,
and solicitation. War crime and Justice News after this.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I'm Drew Nelson quote. If I die it was greg
That was the last message Kylie Montero sent her sister
before she vanished on August seventh. Two weeks later, police
found her body buried on her boyfriend's property. Gregory Groom,
aged twenty two, is now charged with murder. On Tuesday,
investigators returned to Groom's home and rehob with Massachusetts. After
(02:45):
days of search efforts and interviews, they found human remains
near a shed on his twenty five acre property. Groom
confessed he stabbed.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Us Montero twice in the neck and once in the chest.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
The stabling whims of the chest actually broke the plate
of the night off the prosecutor. Giving the narrative in court,
Groom admitted he buried Montero in a five foot hole.
He covered her with brush and dirt and did the
same to cover up the murder scene. Kylie's parents, leaving
court on Wednesday, couldn't say much. We're devastating thank you.
Groom had first reported Montero missing on the eighth. He
(03:17):
told police she left after an argument. At the time, Montero,
age eighteen, was eleven weeks pregnant. She had taken a
ride share to his house the day before and wanted
to stay there. They argued, and she texted her sister quote,
he threw me on the ground, pulled my hair, strangled me.
My phone is at four percent and if I die,
it was greg Police searched Groom's property last Thursday but
(03:37):
found nothing. Days later, they brought him in for another interview.
They said they would dig. Groom drew them a map.
Officers found the body in the shallow grave twenty yards
from the shed. Groom has been charged with murder, assault
and battery and a pregnant victim, domestic assault, and witness intimidation.
He pleaded not guilty in Taunton District Court. A judge
ordered him held without mail. A probable cause hearing is
(04:01):
set for the tenth next month. Kylee's family thanked the
public undergofundme page and said, quote, this is closure and
we are so thankful for everyone's help in getting here.
The candlelight vigil is planned for Saturday night in a
local park.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I'm Nicole Pardon. A murder trial is underway in Atlanta,
almost three decades after the brutal murder and dismemberment of
Melissa Wolfenbarger. Her husband now stands trial facing charges in
connection with her death. For over twenty years, the case
remained a mystery until recent advancements in DNA technology enabled
(04:35):
investigators to identify her remains and build a case against
her husband, Christopher Wolfenbarger. In twenty twenty four, he was
indicted in charge with murder related to the death of
his wife, who was also the mother of their children.
This week, the testimony of Melissa's mother, Norma Patton, took
a prominent role in the Fulton County courtroom. Patten recounted
(04:58):
her concern when Melissa failed to reach out or visit
her on Christmas Day in nineteen ninety eight. Months later,
Melissa was reported missing. The defense questioned Patten about her
delay in checking on her daughter, highlighting that Melissa did
not have a cell phone or landline phone. They also
suggested that Patten harbored a long standing grudge against Christopher Wolfenbarger. Additionally,
(05:23):
The defense raised doubts about Patten's reliability by referencing her
previous marriage to Carl Patten, a convicted serial killer known
as the Flint River serial Killer who confessed to taking
five lives in the nineteen seventies. It was only after
Carl's arrest in two thousand and three that his DNA
was linked to remains found in Atlanta, which were ultimately
(05:46):
identified as belonging to Melissa, initially believed to be another
of his victims. The DNA evidence turned out to be
crucial in solving two cold cases. Norma testified that she
assisted her home in disposing of some of the victim's bodies,
but avoided legal consequences by securing an immunity agreement in
(06:07):
exchange for her testimony against her husband. Carl Patten passed
away in prison in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I helped him disposed of the body.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Okay, okay, so you were involved, Yes, for some of
the murders, you were not involved, is that correct?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That's correct? But you overheard Carl making plans for them.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I loved my husband, and you didn't go directly to
the police when you overheard your husband discussing murdering somebody.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
No, I did not.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
You in fact helped Carl plan.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
The killing of Joe and Lyddy. Didn't you? Yes, I
was given amenity for my testimony against him.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Prosecutors say Norma's past has absolutely nothing to do with
her daughter's death, and prosecutors utilized Norma's testimony to illustrate
the alleged abuse that Melissa endured at the hands of
her husband. That contended that Christopher Wolfenbarger murdered Melissa in
late nineteen ninety eight and discarded her remains in trash
(07:09):
bags later discovered by investigators. Jurors also heard from a
former waffle house supervisor who claimed to have noticed signs
of abuse on Melissa. During cross examination, the defense revealed
that the supervisor had an affair with Melissa, suggesting he
might have ulterior motives and casting doubt on his credibility.
(07:30):
The trial is set to proceed this week as jurors
deliberate on the evidence and testimonies in a case that
remained unsolved for over twenty years.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
I'm Jennifer Gould, a Las Vegas teen who gunned down
his father after his cell phone was taken away, is
now walking free, and he has his mother to thank
for it. The victim's own wife, seen smiling broadly in court,
became the star witness for her so, helping him get
(08:01):
a slap on the wrist for the slaying. The startling
chain of events began with a common household punishment. Jeremy
Peterson forty five and his wife Abigail confiscated their son
Lincoln's electronics due to his poor grades. But what started
as a simple act of discipline turned deadly on December
(08:21):
twenty eighth, twenty twenty four, as the argument escalated, a
furious Lincoln, just fifteen at the time, grabbed a handgun
from a nearby drawer. With a single fatal shot, he
fired over his shoulder as he fled the room, killing
his father. Here's the nine one one call made from
his distraught sister. Listen, who is he the person who
(08:42):
shot your dad?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Who is he my younger brother? He's pleating a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
He's shot it.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
HELI John Rail.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
Did now sixteen. Lincoln pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with
a deadly weapon. His sentencing in Clark County District Court,
prosecutors fought hard for a prison term of six to
fifteen years, citing the unprovoked violence of the act and
(09:11):
revealing a chilling detail from Lincoln's own sister that her
brother had, weeks earlier waved an unloaded gun at the
family and even pointed it at his own head. Yet
the most powerful voice belonged to the woman whose life
was shattered by her son's bullet. Abigail Peterson told the
court quote, nothing, nothing compares to losing the love of
(09:36):
my life, my husband, and knowing that my own son's
action was the cause. End quote. But her words of
pain were immediately followed by a breathtaking display of forgiveness
that left the court room reeling. Despite the shocking violence
of the crime and the plea from prosecutors, Clark County
District Judge Tierra Jones handed down a stunn lenient sentence
(10:02):
five years of probation. The judge remarked that she had
never seen a defendant with such overwhelming family support. As
the lenient verdict was read, Abigail Peterson's broad smile became
a final jarring image, sealing the boy's escape from prison
and cementing the public's perception of a lenient punishment for
(10:27):
such a violent act. His freedom comes with a few
strings attached, a curfew, mandatory counseling, and the requirement to
earn his ged, But a suspended prison sentence of three
to seven and a half years hangs over him, a
quiet threat that serves as the only reminder of the
(10:49):
life he took, leaving many questioning whether justice was truly
served it all. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast
app with this crime Alert. I'm Jennifer Goold.
Crime Alard hourly update breaking crime news Now, I'm Jackie Howard.
A jury is now set in Donna Adelson's murder trial.
She's accused of being one of the masterminds behind the
murder for hire of Van Markel, her former son in law,
and a beloved Florida State University law professor. Authorities alleged
Donna Adleson conspired with her son, Charlie and his then girlfriend.
(00:25):
They were both convicted and now serving life in prison,
along with two other hired hit men. After Charlie Adelson's conviction,
police swarm in and arrest his mother at Miami Airport
as she and husband Harvey are trying to board a
one way ticket to Vietnam, a non extradition country. This
(00:45):
after being caught during a jailhouse phone call.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Investigators caught wind that Charlie Eedelson's conviction was pushing his
mom to do something drastic. During one of the calls,
Donna Adelson tells her son Charlie that they are looking
at places to see if they have extradition, and she's
extradition from Vietnam.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
We've been looking it up over and over.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
The things changed.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
If there is extradition, from Vietnam because we've listed all
the places. I mean, I could go to Korea and
China but did no extraditions, but looking for places with
is no extradition.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
One week after that call, Donna and Harvey Aedelson book
a one way ticket to Vietnam and are waiting for
their flight at Miami International Airport when officers arrive and
handcuffed the seventy three year old grandmother and escort her
out of the airport into a waiting squad car. Donna
Aedelson is facing first degree murder and solicitation of murder charges.
When Dan Markle was killed in his driveway, Authorities believe
(01:37):
there was a conspiracy involving several people, including Donna Aedelson,
who got the money and paid the killer.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
More than ten years have passed since two Miami gang
members traveled to Tallahassee to murder Dan Markel in his garage.
The dedicated father of two boys succumb to his injuries
the following day. Prosecutors claimed they hit accurred shortly after
a court ruling in mark Hall's favor, stating that his
ex wife, Wendy Adelson, was denied relocation with their two
(02:06):
young boys from Tallahassee to South Florida, where Wendy's wealthy
family resides. If convicted, Donna Adelson faces first degree murder, conspiracy,
and solicitation. War crime and Justice News after this.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I'm Drew Nelson quote. If I die it was greg
That was the last message Kylie Montero sent her sister
before she vanished on August seventh. Two weeks later, police
found her body buried on her boyfriend's property. Gregory Groom,
aged twenty two, is now charged with murder. On Tuesday,
investigators returned to Groom's home and rehob with Massachusetts. After
(02:45):
days of search efforts and interviews, they found human remains
near a shed on his twenty five acre property. Groom
confessed he stabbed.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Us Montero twice in the neck and once in the chest.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
The stabling whims of the chest actually broke the plate
of the night off the prosecutor. Giving the narrative in court,
Groom admitted he buried Montero in a five foot hole.
He covered her with brush and dirt and did the
same to cover up the murder scene. Kylie's parents, leaving
court on Wednesday, couldn't say much. We're devastating thank you.
Groom had first reported Montero missing on the eighth. He
(03:17):
told police she left after an argument. At the time, Montero,
age eighteen, was eleven weeks pregnant. She had taken a
ride share to his house the day before and wanted
to stay there. They argued, and she texted her sister quote,
he threw me on the ground, pulled my hair, strangled me.
My phone is at four percent and if I die,
it was greg Police searched Groom's property last Thursday but
(03:37):
found nothing. Days later, they brought him in for another interview.
They said they would dig. Groom drew them a map.
Officers found the body in the shallow grave twenty yards
from the shed. Groom has been charged with murder, assault
and battery and a pregnant victim, domestic assault, and witness intimidation.
He pleaded not guilty in Taunton District Court. A judge
ordered him held without mail. A probable cause hearing is
(04:01):
set for the tenth next month. Kylee's family thanked the
public undergofundme page and said, quote, this is closure and
we are so thankful for everyone's help in getting here.
The candlelight vigil is planned for Saturday night in a
local park.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I'm Nicole Pardon. A murder trial is underway in Atlanta,
almost three decades after the brutal murder and dismemberment of
Melissa Wolfenbarger. Her husband now stands trial facing charges in
connection with her death. For over twenty years, the case
remained a mystery until recent advancements in DNA technology enabled
(04:35):
investigators to identify her remains and build a case against
her husband, Christopher Wolfenbarger. In twenty twenty four, he was
indicted in charge with murder related to the death of
his wife, who was also the mother of their children.
This week, the testimony of Melissa's mother, Norma Patton, took
a prominent role in the Fulton County courtroom. Patten recounted
(04:58):
her concern when Melissa failed to reach out or visit
her on Christmas Day in nineteen ninety eight. Months later,
Melissa was reported missing. The defense questioned Patten about her
delay in checking on her daughter, highlighting that Melissa did
not have a cell phone or landline phone. They also
suggested that Patten harbored a long standing grudge against Christopher Wolfenbarger. Additionally,
(05:23):
The defense raised doubts about Patten's reliability by referencing her
previous marriage to Carl Patten, a convicted serial killer known
as the Flint River serial Killer who confessed to taking
five lives in the nineteen seventies. It was only after
Carl's arrest in two thousand and three that his DNA
was linked to remains found in Atlanta, which were ultimately
(05:46):
identified as belonging to Melissa, initially believed to be another
of his victims. The DNA evidence turned out to be
crucial in solving two cold cases. Norma testified that she
assisted her home in disposing of some of the victim's bodies,
but avoided legal consequences by securing an immunity agreement in
(06:07):
exchange for her testimony against her husband. Carl Patten passed
away in prison in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I helped him disposed of the body.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Okay, okay, so you were involved, Yes, for some of
the murders, you were not involved, is that correct?
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That's correct? But you overheard Carl making plans for them.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I loved my husband, and you didn't go directly to
the police when you overheard your husband discussing murdering somebody.
Speaker 5 (06:35):
No, I did not.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
You in fact helped Carl plan.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
The killing of Joe and Lyddy. Didn't you? Yes, I
was given amenity for my testimony against him.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Prosecutors say Norma's past has absolutely nothing to do with
her daughter's death, and prosecutors utilized Norma's testimony to illustrate
the alleged abuse that Melissa endured at the hands of
her husband. That contended that Christopher Wolfenbarger murdered Melissa in
late nineteen ninety eight and discarded her remains in trash
(07:09):
bags later discovered by investigators. Jurors also heard from a
former waffle house supervisor who claimed to have noticed signs
of abuse on Melissa. During cross examination, the defense revealed
that the supervisor had an affair with Melissa, suggesting he
might have ulterior motives and casting doubt on his credibility.
(07:30):
The trial is set to proceed this week as jurors
deliberate on the evidence and testimonies in a case that
remained unsolved for over twenty years.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
I'm Jennifer Gould, a Las Vegas teen who gunned down
his father after his cell phone was taken away, is
now walking free, and he has his mother to thank
for it. The victim's own wife, seen smiling broadly in court,
became the star witness for her so, helping him get
(08:01):
a slap on the wrist for the slaying. The startling
chain of events began with a common household punishment. Jeremy
Peterson forty five and his wife Abigail confiscated their son
Lincoln's electronics due to his poor grades. But what started
as a simple act of discipline turned deadly on December
(08:21):
twenty eighth, twenty twenty four, as the argument escalated, a
furious Lincoln, just fifteen at the time, grabbed a handgun
from a nearby drawer. With a single fatal shot, he
fired over his shoulder as he fled the room, killing
his father. Here's the nine one one call made from
his distraught sister. Listen, who is he the person who
(08:42):
shot your dad?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Who is he my younger brother? He's pleating a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
He's shot it.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
HELI John Rail.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
Did now sixteen. Lincoln pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with
a deadly weapon. His sentencing in Clark County District Court,
prosecutors fought hard for a prison term of six to
fifteen years, citing the unprovoked violence of the act and
(09:11):
revealing a chilling detail from Lincoln's own sister that her
brother had, weeks earlier waved an unloaded gun at the
family and even pointed it at his own head. Yet
the most powerful voice belonged to the woman whose life
was shattered by her son's bullet. Abigail Peterson told the
court quote, nothing, nothing compares to losing the love of
(09:36):
my life, my husband, and knowing that my own son's
action was the cause. End quote. But her words of
pain were immediately followed by a breathtaking display of forgiveness
that left the court room reeling. Despite the shocking violence
of the crime and the plea from prosecutors, Clark County
District Judge Tierra Jones handed down a stunn lenient sentence
(10:02):
five years of probation. The judge remarked that she had
never seen a defendant with such overwhelming family support. As
the lenient verdict was read, Abigail Peterson's broad smile became
a final jarring image, sealing the boy's escape from prison
and cementing the public's perception of a lenient punishment for
(10:27):
such a violent act. His freedom comes with a few
strings attached, a curfew, mandatory counseling, and the requirement to
earn his ged, But a suspended prison sentence of three
to seven and a half years hangs over him, a
quiet threat that serves as the only reminder of the
(10:49):
life he took, leaving many questioning whether justice was truly
served it all. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast
app with this crime Alert. I'm Jennifer Goold.
Host
Nancy Grace
Popular Podcasts
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.