1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: Crime Alard hourly update, breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole Parton. 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: Two teenagers from Florida have received life sentences for the 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: tragic murder of a twelve year old girl who was 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: innocently sitting on her couch when they fired twenty five 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: bullets into her home, driven by a dispute involving her brother. 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: Matthew Rice, now eighteen, was sentenced to life in prison 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: on Thursday for the twenty twenty three killing of Mariah 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: Smith in Lake City. This is reported by w CJB. 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: A jury found Rice guilty of second degree murder and 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: two counts of attempted second degree murder. Seventeen year old 11 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: Jaden Birch also received a life sentence after being convicted 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: of the same charges. Another teen, Jitterius Fluellen, and is 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: still awaiting trial. Prosecutors indicated that Rice's DNA was found 14 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: on one of the firearms used in the incident. Despite 15 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: numerous attempts by school officials to address Rice's be behavior 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: issues around forty times, they say their efforts proved ineffective. 17 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: The prosecution characterized Birch as the mastermind behind the crime. 18 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: Jaden Birch is the mastermind of this homicide. The brain 19 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: behind it all set Assistant State Attorney Sean chris A, 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: fully emphasizing during the sentencing, he wanted this entire family dead. 21 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: It was him who set out to destroy them that night. 22 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: It was from his home that the others set out 23 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: to commit this act. It was there. It was him, 24 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: It was him, said the prosecutor. Burch showed no signs 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: of remorse. Instead, he displayed arrogance as he sat listening. 26 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: Less than an hour after the murder, He's on Instagram 27 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: boasting to a girl about what he did to Mariah. 28 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: The prosecutor said. He even attempted to cover his tracks, 29 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: claiming he deleted the message unaware that we could still 30 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: have access. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, Birch maintained his innocace. Honestly, 31 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: I did not take that young woman away from her family, 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: he claimed. I understand the evidence may seem to imply guilt, 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: but that is not the case. I know you want 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: justice for Mariah, but you have the wrong guy. I'm innocent, 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: he said. As reported by NBC News, Lake City Police 36 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: responded to a shooting shortly after nine pm on August 37 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: twenty four. Upon arrival at a residence on Northwest Longstreet. 38 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: They discovered Mariah with a gunshot wound to her head. 39 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: First responders pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators discovered 40 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: twenty five shellcasings and a laser sight outside the home, 41 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 1: according to the probable cause Affidavid. In the days and 42 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: weeks that followed, detectives gathered evidence linking the shooting to 43 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: a confrontation between Mariah's older brother and the suspect. Authorities 44 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: stated that Birch provided the firearms to the co defendants, 45 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: who then walked to the house and opened fire before fleeing. Fluellen, 46 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: who was just fourteen at the time and was the 47 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: first to be arrested. Birch, then fifteen, was taken into 48 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 1: custody and a grand jury indicted Rice in February twenty four. 49 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,679 Speaker 1: A significant piece of evidence was an Instagram conversation involving 50 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: Birch where he reportedly mentioned the shooting and included a 51 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: smiling emoji. When asked if he knew about the incident, 52 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: he replied, I know, I did it, smiley face. Authorities 53 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: also discovered Rice's DNA on the laser site. Jurors took 54 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: less than an hour to convict him. Following the shooting, 55 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: the city renamed the street where Mariah was killed to 56 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: Mariah Regina Smith Memorials Street. City Councilman Glennell Boden had 57 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: this to say. 58 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: I've been three home a sided in this general area 59 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: within the past year. Twelve year old hill, nineteen year 60 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 2: old down at the end of the street, and early 61 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: twenty less than two blostom here. It could have happened 62 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: to anybody. It could have been into chow, it could 63 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: have been an about at home. It's just around the 64 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: drive by shooting and twelve year old and she's gone 65 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: forever well. I hope people will take from this that 66 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 2: we need to look out for each other. 67 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: More crime and justice news. After this, more than one 68 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty two missing and endangered children have been 69 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: found and returned safely. This according to US Marshals in 70 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: an announcement on Monday. The two week operation, titled Home 71 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: for the Holidays, spanned across central Florida and involve children 72 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: belonging to the following areas. Fifty seven from the Tampa area, 73 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: fourteen out of Orlando, twenty two in Jacksonville, and twenty 74 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: nine in Fort Myers. Services provided to children in the 75 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: operation include medical care, youth advocacy, juvenile justice coordination, foster care, 76 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: and child placement. What allows our Middle Florida based children 77 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: recovery initiatives to stand out is the emphasis on what 78 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: happens after children are rescued. We know that these children 79 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: will have needs once we find them, so we hope 80 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: to build them back stronger, said Bill Berger from the 81 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: United States Marshall's office. A news release highlighted the following cases. One, 82 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: a young pregnant female received prenatal care she was being 83 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: held in a sex trafficking operation. Two brothers were provided 84 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: initial care for substance dependency after they were found living 85 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: homeless under the age of fifteen. A toddler was safely 86 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: located in Mexico. US and Mexican authorities are coordinating a 87 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: plan and the best suits to bring the child back home. 88 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: They believe that child was trafficked out of Florida. A 89 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: young man with a significant juvenile justice history was for 90 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: the first time provided with services pertaining to his alleged abuse. 91 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: The operation located and recovered children from Florida and nine 92 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: other states. Those children ranged in age from twenty three 93 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: months to seventeen years old. Police in Michigan are asking 94 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: for the public's help and locating a missing woman. Rebecca K. 95 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: Park has been missing since Nova three. The police say 96 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: she was last seen in the area of Cadillac, and 97 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: that was on November three. The search team centered at 98 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: Cadillac included dozens of volunteers who checked in at ten 99 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: am before heading out to nearby wooded areas. Jody Lewis, 100 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: a search organizer, expressed her gratitude for the community coming 101 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: out to try to help find this missing woman. There 102 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: is a two thousand dollar reward being offered for information 103 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: leading to the whereabouts of Rebecca. It's also noted by 104 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: police that she is pregnant. Local hospitals have been searched 105 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: with no sign of the woman. She was last seen 106 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: getting into a car Willingly, a dark colored vehicle on 107 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: Monday night around eleven thirty pm. Police say they do 108 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: not know where she is. No cell phone activity or 109 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: credit card activity has been noticed by her family. They 110 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: have not seen or heard from her since she entered 111 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: the car of that stranger. If you have information, please 112 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: call two three one seven on seven nine two one one. 113 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: Park is described as five two weighing about one hundred 114 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: and forty pounds and being with child. For the latest 115 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: crime in justice news, follow crime Alert hourly update on 116 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert, I'm Nicole Parton.