1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Crime Alard hourly update, breaking crime. 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 2: News Now I'm holding Zapple. A Florida man is facing 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 2: several charges after allegedly murdering two children is setting fire 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 2: to a trailer with the children inside. First Responders on 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: the scene battle flames at a trailer before going inside 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: to discover the bodies of two children, ages seven and nine, 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: and a dog after a mobile home fire in Pensacola. 8 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 2: The home was fully engulfed in flames when a Scambia 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: County fire rescue arrived on the scene just before one 10 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 2: am last Friday. John Henry Walston Junior, twenty seven, faces 11 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,279 Speaker 2: a list of charges, including first three murder, arson, sexual assault, 12 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: and torturing an animal. A Scambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons 13 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 2: says investigators were able to determine both children were killed 14 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: before the fire was set, and one of them had 15 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 2: been sexually assaulted. Deputies said Walston escaped the fire and 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: was later located at a hospital receiving treatment. Witnesses say 17 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 2: the children's mother ran into the trailer when she saw 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: the flames to try to save her children. She was 19 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: taken to the hospital and treated for her injuries. Sheriff 20 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: Simmons says in an update Saturday, investigators determined Walston initially 21 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: set fire to the home after sexually assaulting one of 22 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: the children, than killing both. Walston ran to safety after 23 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 2: setting the fire. According to Simmons, Walston is in Escambia 24 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 2: County Jail without bond. His first court data is set 25 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 2: for November twenty sixth. More crime and justice news After this. 26 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: I'm nicole pardoned. The investigation into the death of a 27 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: Florida teen on a carnival cruise ship continues and details 28 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: remain scarce. Anna Kepner, eighteen, of Titusville, died while on 29 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: a cruise on the Carnival Horizon. The ship returned to 30 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: Port Miami on November eighth after a trip to the Caribbean. 31 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: For more, here's crime story Sidney Sumner. 32 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: A relaxing Caribbean cruise turns nightmare when crew members discover 33 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 3: a passenger dead just hours before the Carnival Horizon returns 34 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: to Miami. The FBI now investigating eighteen year old Anna 35 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: Kepner's mysterious death, not commenting on whether foul play is suspected. Titusville, Florida, 36 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 3: grieving the loss of the high school senior with a 37 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 3: bright future and looking for answers. 38 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: Anna Kopner, affectionately known as Anna Banana by her family, 39 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: was a senior at Temple Christian, a private K through 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: twelfth school in Titusville. She was an a student and 41 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: a cheerleader, with plans to join the military after graduation 42 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: in May. She was the best child you could ever meet, 43 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: said family members. We always remember her for that, and 44 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: she was looking forward to this cruise to celebrate her graduation. 45 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: Crime Stories Holden Zapple tells us about the planned cruise. 46 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: Anna's grandparents gift her a spring cruise has an eighteenth 47 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 2: birthday gift. Anna enjoys the experience so much she books 48 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: a six day trip with stops in Oto Rios, Jamaica, 49 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: the Grand Caymans, and Cosimmel, Mexico. 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: Anna, posting her excitement about her upcoming cruise on social media, 51 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: left out of Titusville and headed to the port, expecting 52 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: the vacation of a Lifetimesigative reporter Dave. 53 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 4: Mack Anna drives to Miami Sunday morning to catch the 54 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 4: Carnival Horizon. Ship leaves support that afternoon and guests spend 55 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 4: a day on the open ocean before arriving in Jamaica. 56 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 4: Its smooth sailing from Ojo Rios to the Grand Caymans 57 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 4: and Cosmeo. The Horizon is on its way back to 58 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 4: Miami when tragedy strikes. 59 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: While information has been limited, some tourist on the cruise 60 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: ships said once they returned to the port, they were 61 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: hurried off at the deportation routes and they watched in 62 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: distress as corners removed Anna's body from. 63 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 5: I'm Drew Nelson, Wisconsin. Out of Gamey County investigators say 64 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 5: they have uncovered one of the worst child neglect cases 65 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 5: the state has ever seen. A fourteen year old girl 66 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 5: rescued from a trailer park home in the town of Oneida, 67 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 5: weighing just thirty five pounds, a condition doctors described as 68 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 5: life threatening when she was airlifted to Children's Wisconsin in Wawatosa. 69 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 5: Prosecutors say the teen had been kept isolated inside a 70 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 5: small room the bear mattress on the floor, denied food, 71 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 5: denied medical care, and forced to ask permission to use 72 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 5: the bathroom. In court, outi Gamey County Court Commissioner Brian 73 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 5: Figge said the abuse defied comprehension and it's alleged that 74 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 5: the minor child was quite frankly living in a house 75 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 5: of borders, but for the grace of God, she did 76 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 5: not die. Four adults are now charged with five felony 77 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 5: counts of chronic child neglects. The girl's father, forty seven 78 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 5: year old Walter Goodman, his wife Melissa Goodman, Melissa's daughter 79 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 5: Savannah Lea Fever, and Lefever's romantic partner, Caylas Stemler. Prosecutors 80 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 5: said all four adults participated in or enabled the prolonged mistreatment. 81 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 5: The investigation began in August when Goodman called nine to one 82 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 5: one to report his daughter was vomiting, lethargic and quote 83 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 5: not eating much. First responders immediately realized the severity of 84 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 5: her condition. The girl appeared to be the size of 85 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 5: a six to eight year old, unable to stand and 86 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 5: called to the touch. Inside the home, investigators found condition 87 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 5: that pointed to years of neglect, no medical visits since 88 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 5: twenty twenty, no schooling since the pandemic, and a pattern 89 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 5: of emotional and physical deprivation. Messages recovered from the adult's 90 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 5: phone showed them calling the child dummy and stupid, discussing 91 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 5: when they would allow her to eat and complaining about 92 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,679 Speaker 5: her asking for food. Two of the women, Melissa Goodman 93 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 5: and Savannah Lea Fever, were described in the complaint as 94 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 5: so obese that they were quote nearly bedbound. Prosecutors say 95 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 5: this case stands apart in its severity without a Gamy 96 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 5: County's Assistant District Attorney Julia du Quaine, calling it unprecedented 97 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 5: in her time handling child abuse cases. 98 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: This is the most egregious case of child neglect I 99 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: think I have ever personally seen in my nearly twenty 100 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 1: five year career. 101 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 5: Doctors at Children's Wisconsin diagnosed the girl with severe malnutrition, 102 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 5: organ dysfunction, and hypothermia. Within days of receiving regular food 103 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 5: and sleep, medical staff said she improved. According to the complaint, 104 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 5: the girl's quote eyes lit up when she was told 105 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 5: she would receive three meals a day. Staff noted she 106 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 5: could eat normally and function quote largely within expected parameters 107 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 5: for her age, contradicting her family's claims that she refused 108 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 5: food because she was autistic. As the criminal cases move forward, 109 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 5: officials say that scene is recovering with proper care and support, 110 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 5: but the shock of the discovery still reverberates. Through the community. 111 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 5: The four defendants faced decades in prison if convicted. More 112 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 5: Crime and Justice news. After this, six people vanished from 113 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 5: a rental home in Missouri and no one has seen 114 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 5: them since August of twenty twenty three. Mikayla Denise Wickerson, 115 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 5: her three year old daughter, Maliah, Mikayla Thompson, Jerry L. 116 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 5: Jerman German's three year old son, Ashton Mitchell, and Niman 117 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 5: Williams were all last seen on August sixth at the 118 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 5: Quality Inn on Dunroad in floress And, Missouri. All four 119 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 5: adults had been living with the children inside Wickerson's rented 120 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 5: home in Berkeley, near Saint Louis Lambert International Airport. They 121 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 5: are unrelated adults who moved in together months before they vanished. 122 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 5: Berkeley police found the home empty on August twelfth during 123 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 5: a welfare check. There was no sign of forced entry. 124 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 5: Officers saw science that the group left in a rush, 125 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 5: Their IDs left behind. The FBI and Berkeley Police say 126 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 5: the group was last known to be together at the hotel. 127 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 5: They were later confirmed on surveillance cameras inside the building. 128 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 5: No one has seen or heard from them since that day. 129 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 5: Family members say the trouble began months earlier. Wickerson's mother, 130 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 5: Cartesia Morgan, said her daughter cut off contact in March 131 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 5: of twenty three. She said Wickerson suddenly quit her job, 132 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 5: maxed out her credit cards, and stopped speaking with her family. 133 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 5: Morgan said she tried to report concerns to child services 134 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 5: and asked police for welfare checks. Wickerson spoke to officers 135 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 5: at that time and told them she was fine. Investigators 136 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 5: say the group had fallen online teachings from Rashad Jamal White, 137 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 5: who calls his work the University of Cosmic Intelligence. Police 138 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 5: described the online movement as a spiritual cult. Jamal has 139 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 5: tens of thousands of followers on the Internet and is 140 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 5: now serving an eighteen year sentence in Georgia for child molestation. 141 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 5: Three of the missing adults had adopted new names linked 142 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 5: with that group. Neighbors told police the adults often acted 143 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 5: in strange ways before they vanished. Police saw them outside 144 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 5: quote worshiping the sun. Some described them running naked in 145 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 5: the yard during rainstorms. Others saw them digging holes in 146 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 5: their yard. Police say this group believed in polygamy, rejected 147 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 5: the government, and tried to live off the grid. No 148 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 5: one has answered calls or messages. Social media activity has stopped, 149 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 5: and their bank card use ceased. Berkeley Police say there 150 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 5: is no direct sign of violence. The FBI Saint Louis 151 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 5: Field Office is involved with both agencies, saying they need 152 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 5: the public's help. Anyone with information is asked to contact 153 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 5: eight hundred, call FBI Tips, Do FBI dot gov for 154 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 5: the latest crime injustice news. Follow crime alerts hourly update 155 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 5: on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm 156 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 5: Drew Nelson.