The Tuesday TWITCH (a little late)
This Week in True Crime 4/3/24
After running the TWITCH on two Tuesdays in a row, we decided to make Tuesdays the TWITCH’s permanent home. So, going forward, the TWITCH will run on Tuesdays and will feature the true crime happenings we are following that occurred from last Tuesday to this one. Good? Good.
(Editor’s Note: We clearly did not get this one out yesterday as planned, but Tuesday will be the permanent home for the TWITCH column from this point forward.)
Now, let’s see what happened this week:
Boise, Idaho: After waiting for four years, Chad Daybell’s murder trial began on April Fool’s Day, and the irony of that was not lost on anyone. Daybell, a self-proclaimed prophet who claimed he could decipher when/if people became “zombies” (and then set out to end said “zombies” lives), is accused of murdering his first wife, Tammy Daybell, and conspiracy to commit the murders of his new wife’s two children, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, plus several other charges. As we write this, the jury selection is in process. We hope that they get a jury full of people who are able to see the truth and decide accordingly. This trial is expected to last a good while, and we will come here to share updates each week while it does. In the meantime, the trial is going to be live-streamed courtesy of East Idaho News if you want to keep up yourself.
Springfield, Missouri: Riley Strain’s funeral was held on Friday, just days after his second autopsy results were released, revealing that he was found in the river with no pants, boots or wallet. Some folks conjecture that this could have happened due to the river current. But Dr. Bill Bass, the founder of the forensic research project, The Body Farm, said that, while that could be possible, it is also unlikely, especially since he was also wearing a belt. We don’t know what to think but our hearts go out to his parents especially, who, in the midst of immense grief, must also be grappling with lingering questions as to exactly what happened to their son that night.
Summit County, Utah: Kouri Richins, the mom who is accused of murdering her husband and then writing a children’s book on grief, was hit with ten new charges this week, one of which is attempted murder. She allegedly poisoned a sandwich that, after one bite, caused her husband Eric to break out in hives just weeks before his murder. He told a witness that he thought his wife tried to poison him. In the new charge documents, it also alleges that Richins was having an affair and that the night her husband died, she and the other man texted “Love you” to each other just hours before. We suspected an affair was going to surface.
Miami, Florida: Celebrity Sean “P Diddy” Combs was under fire from every which way this week following law enforcement raids at two of his homes. Lawsuits, victims coming forward, leaked videos from the past, and speculations are rampant— is Tupac’s murder related to Combs and, if so, how? What does JLo know? If the accusations are true, then we are glad that these crimes were exposed, and that everyone involved is being held accountable. Fame and fortune should never protect someone from bad acts. We expect that this case will continue to evolve with, hopefully, the truth rising to the surface.
Manchester, New Hampshire: Adam Montgomery could be made to attend his sentencing. (You may recall we were upset that he exercised his legal right to not be in attendance at his trial, where he was ultimately convicted of the murder of his daughter, little Harmony Montgomery.) The prosecutors have filed a motion to compel him to be present, but legal minds say that might be difficult to enforce. This week he filed a request to not be there. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9th, and we will let you know what happens.
Charleston, South Carolina: Also on April Fool’s Day, Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to 40 years for his financial crimes. This is on top of another, previous, sentence for financial crimes, and two life sentences for the murders of his wife and son. He must also pay an estimated 8.7 million dollars in restitution to his victims. Murdaugh admits to the financial crimes but claims he is innocent of the murders. He is appealing the murder convictions but either way, he faces a long, well-deserved stint in jail.
Charlotte, Michigan: Beverly McCallum, who took the stand in her own defense last Friday and, like many accused people, did herself no favors in doing so, was found guilty on, wait for it, April Fool’s Day. The jury deliberated for about 2 hours before coming back to render their verdict of guilty on all counts for the bludgeoning death of her husband, Robert Caraballo. McCallum had moved away from Michigan right after the murder, eventually ending up in Italy, where she was later found and extradited back to Michigan in 2022. McCallum faces up to life in prison and will be sentenced May 23rd.
Boston, Massachusetts: Accused murderer Karen Read’s defense motion to dismiss her charges was denied this week. There was a five week continuance of the trial granted after more than 3000 pages of new documents (read: new evidence) was released by federal prosecutors, apparently relating to a probe into how the case was being handled. As of now the trial is set to go on April 16 and could last as long as six weeks. Her supporters claim she’s been framed, and that there is no way— with all the publicity— an impartial jury could be seated. The “Free Karen Read” supporters, who can be found protesting around the courthouse, have now gotten their own attorney after the state filed for restrictions to be placed around their presence there at the courthouse. The group intends to fight for their first amendment rights.
That’s all we have for this week: we are keeping an eye on the Sebastian Rogers case. A press conference was held today, but really no new information was revealed beyond just updating the public that the search for him continues and encouraging people to come forward with any information. We are also looking into the Preston Lord case, which is making headlines but is not one we are familiar with. And we are watching a developing case of two Kansas moms who went missing over Easter weekend. One of the moms is a pastor’s wife, and the car they were in was found on the side of the road, with no sign of the two women.
What cases are you following that we’re not covering? Let us know! What cases did we share today that you’ve been following?
Please share this post and leave a comment. We’d love to create a community of true crime followers who, like us, have a heart for victims. May justice prevail.
I've been following the Preston Lord case as it happened here in my community of Queen Creek, AZ. The 7 individuals who (do we say allegedly?) perpetrated the crime have been charged, as have most, if not all, of their parents. The parents tried to protect their children from authorities by hiding them or other such means. One of the individual's mothers is/was a school principal! I call them "children" because I believe most of them are/were 17 years old, but all are being charged as adults. The group of thugs (calling a spade a spade) goes by the name "The Gilbert Goons". They're Goons alright.