Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

The Tennessee teacher now on the run with a freshman student frequently gave the 15-year-old girl back rubs and held hands with her at school, according to the lawyer for the teen’s father. There is a nationwide lookout for Tad Cummins, 50, wanted for aggravated kidnapping of Elizabeth Thomas. Nancy Grace interviews attorney Jason Whatley in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A prosecutor offers new clues suggesting Elizabeth Thomas did not leave voluntarily with former teacher Tad Cummins. The 15-year-old told her sister “if I’m not back by six o’clock tonight, call the police or come looking for me,” District Attorney Brent Cooper tells Nancy Grace. “My biggest fear is that she had changed her mind about going with Mr. Cummins and that she expressed that to him and he took her then forcefully,” he tells Nancy in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Elizabeth Thomas’ father complains he was never told a teacher was romantically involved with his daughter, it’s revealed Tad Cummins’ wife works for a high-ranking school official. Police fear the teacher and the 15-year-old girl may be hiding far away from their Tennessee hometown. They reveal Cummins had search the web for info on marrying a teen. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke look at the latest in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An alarming number of kidnappings, rapes and murders have been linked to messaging applications that can easily be downloaded onto smartphones for free by pre-teens and teens. Police are warning about one especially popular mobile chat app called Kik, which the creator claims is used by 40% of US teens. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke explore the dangers in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The male teacher who is on the run with a 10th grade girl could be “far away” from their Tennessee town hometown, according to investigators. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is calling on people across the country to keep an eye out for Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas, who they think may be camping in rural areas to avoid being found. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke update the search for Cummins, 50, who is wanted for the aggravated kidnapping of Thomas, 15. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A high school teacher is allegedly on the run with a 15-year-old female student and investigators warn he is armed and dangerous. Elizabeth Thomas was last seen stepping into Tad Cummins’ SUV at a Columbia, Tennessee gas station Monday. A nationwide Amber Alert was issued when police determined the teen was in extreme danger. Cummins lost his teaching job last month amid accusations about his close relationship to his student. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke take a close look at the investigation in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Temple spent a decade in prison after a jury convicted him of murdering his wife, but the former high school coach is free while a Texas DA decides if he’ll be tried again for Belinda Lucas Temple’s death. She was 8 months pregnant when killed by a shotgun blast in her Katy, Texas, home in 1999. Prosecutors argued her husband wanted to get rid of her so he could marry his mistress. The conviction was tossed when an appeals court ruled prosecutor misconduct denied Temple a fair trial. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia investigators are close to declaring the disappearance of Iraq War vet Chase Massner to be a cold case. Nancy Grace, however, won’t let the search for the father of two young girls go cold. Grace has literally taken to the streets to track down witnesses and clues about what happened to Massner, who was 26 years old when he vanished. The results of her personal investigation will be presented in a week-long series of “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” episodes starting March 27, the third anniversary of Chase’s disappearance. This episode offers a preview of what she is finding. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Polanski fled the United States 40 years ago because he feared a Los Angeles judge would send him to prison for years after he admitted having sex with a 13-year-old girl. The filmmaker, who found refuge in Europe, has renewed his legal effort to be allowed back in California with no more jail time so he can resume his movie-making career. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke debate Polanski’s case in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Anthony appears to blame her parents — specifically her father — for the death of her two-year-old daughter in a new interview with the Associated Press. She tells the AP reporter that she doesn’t know what happened to Caylee, but that the child was in the care of her parents. Nancy Grace believes George and Cindy Anthony are the Tot Mom’s “other victims.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rhonda Stapley kept her near-death encounter with serial killer Ted Bundy secret for decades, fearing the judgment that could come if she told how he kidnapped and raped her. The Utah college student hitched a ride with someone she thought was a cute law student, but he took a detour and coldly announced he was going to kill her. It was only because she fell into a river and was swept away by a swift current that she escaped. Stapley talks with Nancy Grace about the pain that followed in this “Crime Stories” episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Anthony, the Florida woman Nancy Grace dubbed “Tot Mom,” says she has no idea how her daughter Caylee died, but she has no trouble sleeping at night. Anthony’s controversial comments came in an Associated Press interview. Grace, who covered the search when two-year-old Caylee was missing and the acquittal of her mother on murder charges, has her own words for Anthony in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OJ Simpson could be months away from walking out of the Nevada prison where he’s served nine years of a 33-year sentence for a Las Vegas armed robbery. The former NFL star is expected to be freed on parole in October. Jim Moret covered the trial where Simpson was acquitted on murder charges in the killings of his ex-wife and a Brentwood waiter and later for when Simpson was convicted in a robbery trial. Nancy Grace and Moret discuss Simpson’s life behind bars and his prospects when he becomes a free man in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Payne Lindsey, whose podcast about the disappearance of Tara Grinstead is credited by many with helping to solve the cold case after more than a decade, is still digging into the the Georgia teacher’s murder. The “Up & Vanished” creator has new details about Ryan Alexander Duke, who was charged with assaulting and murdering Grinstead and then disposing of her body in a pecan orchard to conceal her death in 2005. He shares his latest findings with Nancy Grace in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Video shows Dalia Dippolito telling an undercover cop she wants her husband dead, but screaming later when police tell her he had been killed. Still, two Florida juries have refused to convict Dippolito of hiring a hit man. Dippolito lawyer Brian Claypool argues Boynton Beach police pressured an informant to set her up so the “Cops” reality show could record it. Nancy Grace debates the Dippolito case in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Jackson’s mother signed sworn statement alleging her nephew abused her, stole her money and isolated her from friends and family. The allegations are in a court filing. Trent Jackson denies the charges and accuses several of Katherine Jackson’s sons and daughters of scheming to get rid of him to get closer to her money. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the latest Jackson family feud in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A judge will soon decide if a retired police captain was within his rights to shoot to death a man who threw popcorn at him during an argument over cell phone use in a movie theater. It is the latest controversial case involving Florida’s “stand your ground” law. Curtis Reeves testified that he feared for his life when Chad Oulsen tossed a bucket of popcorn at him. If the judge decides Reeves’ fear was reasonable, the 75-year-old man will avoid a murder trial. Oulsen’s wife, Nicole, also suffered a wound to her left hand in the shooting. Her lawyer T.J. Grimaldi discusses the case with Nancy Grace in this episode of “Crime Stories.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Pennsylvania mother allegedly used her 8-year-old daughter’s breath to bypass the breathalyzer device installed to prevent her from driving while drunk, but she was busted after crashing her car, according to police. Judges allow many convicted drunk drivers to stay behind the wheel as long as they only drive cars with ignition interlock devices, which tests a driver’s breath before cranking. The woman now faces charges of corrupting her child, along with a new DUI offense. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss this case and the conviction of another woman who put her drugged 5-year-old into a burning car in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fitness guru Jackie Warner blames the sleeping pill Ambien for her drunk driving arrest in which she allegedly tried to hit a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy with her Porsche. Warner, best known for her Bravo TV show “Work Out,” said she took one pill before laying down to sleep. She was in a hospital when she woke up, she said. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke explore Warner’s Ambien defense in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mystery of Tara Grinstead’s disappearance 11 years ago is solved with the arrest of a former student of the high school where the beauty queen taught history. Ryan Alexander Duke’s arrest comes weeks after someone who knew the secret of Grinstead’s fate decided to talk. Payne Lindsey, whose “Up & Vanished” podcast is credited with renewing interest in the case, joins Nancy Grace and Alan Duke to discuss the revelations in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Irwin’s parents thought the 10-month-old was sleeping n her crib until her father checked on the infant at 4 a.m. on October 3, 2011. Lisa’s crib and baby clothes are still in place after more than five years earlier. It’s filled with wrapped gifts marking every birthday and holiday since. Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley believe their daughter is still alive, perhaps being raised by a family who bought her from a kidnapper. Despite an intense probe, Kansas City, Mo., detectives have few clues about what happened to Lisa. Nancy Grace re-examine this cold case in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Ohio parents face child endangerment and drug charges after their eight-year-old son nearly died from a heroin overdose in their home. Emergency room workers found a bag of heroin and prescription pills stuffed in a toy watch in the boy’s sock, according to police. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke share the father’s dramatic 911 call and discuss the destructive heroin epidemic in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indiana police want to know the identity of a man photographed walking near where two teen girls were murdered on February 13. They believe he killed Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, in the small town of Delphi, Indiana. The girls were last seen in a Snapchat photo walking an abandoned railroad bridge at the end of a hiking trail. Nancy Grace looks at the mystery and speaks with an investigator in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Dunsey’s rescue brings renewed hope for the families of women missing in southern California. The FBI found Dunsey in Venice, California, a month after she disappeared from Las Vegas. Nancy Grace speaks with the mother of Elaine Park, a 20-year-old Glendale, California, woman who disappeared after a movie date. Her car was found near a beach in Malibu three days later. The boyfriend said Elaine left his home suddenly after awakening with a panic attack. Elaine’s mom questions that story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elvis Presley’s twin granddaughters are in foster care until a judge consider their safety in light of a shocking discovery inside their home, according to court documents. Lisa Marie Presley said in a sworn court filing she found “hundreds of inappropriate photos” and “disturbing video” on her estranged husband’s computers. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the revelations in this explode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Dunsey’s last text message to her mom warned “If I die tonight, it’s a guy named…” The name is redacted so as not to tip off a person of interest in the disappearance of the Utah teen, last seen at the MGM casino in Las Vegas on January 15, 2017. “She is being held against her will and Sarah is a victim of sex trafficking,” her mom said in a video. Sarah’s aunt speaks to Nancy Grace in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isabel Celis disappeared from her family’s Tuscon home sometime in the early morning hours of April 20, 2012. Despite a massive search and intense police investigation, the child is still missing nearly five years later. An open screen suggests the six-year-old was snatched from her bedroom through the window. The father’s remarkably calm call to a 911 dispatcher initially drew attention to him. Investigators have also looked at a man who lived with the family for a while. Nancy Grace discusses the case in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Cupid’s arrow misses the mark, a loveless spouse might seek a hit man with deadlier ammo. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke explore the cases against Jeff Lytle and Dalia Dippolito, who are each accused of plotting to kill their spouses. But thanks to the alleged incompetence of these unhappy lovers, no one dies in this episode. Happy Valentine’s Day! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Los Angeles judge ordered the nephew and caretaker of pop icon Michael Jackson's mother to abandon the house where the Jackson family matriarch lives amid charges he abused the 86-year-old. Trent Jackson tells Nancy Grace in an exclusive interview that he doubts Mrs. Jackson even knows a lawyer requested the temporary restraining order, since she is in London visiting daughter Janet and her new baby. He claims the TRO is a power grab by Michael Jackson's siblings. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10-year-old Lindsey Baum disappeared without a trace while walking home from a neighborhood pool party in Washington State community in 2009. Nancy Grace talks with her mom, Melissa Baum, about the latest developments in her case and why she still believes her daughter is alive. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mystery of Iraq war veteran Chase Massner is the hottest topic on CrimeOnline’s podcast call-in line. Listeners of “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” have been raising good questions about the investigation. Massner was 26 when he disappeared after spending the night at a friend’s home in Kennesaw, Georgia on March 27, 2014. Grace and Leigh Egan, our prime reporter covering the story, answer caller questions in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal lawsuit against Baylor University includes shocking details of how the school allegedly used sex to lure high school recruits for its football team. Investigators accuse athletic department staffers of covering up sex assaults, which female students allege included more than 30 players over four years. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke look at scandal in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Vetrano, father of murdered Queens jogger Karina Vetrano, hoped a new DNA analysis strategy would find his daughter’s killer, but it turned out old fashion police work nabbed a suspect. Accused killer Chanel Lewis is just 20 and his previous crimes include urinating in public, not serious enough to put him into the DNA database. This episode revisits Nancy Grace’s talk with Karina’s dad. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime Stories breaks news on Maricela Garcia developed by the private investigator hired by the 26-year-old missing woman’s family. The new information suggests the dark world of drug addiction could be related to her disappearance while shopping in Reseda, California last month. Police want to talk to Garcia’s ex-boyfriend, who the private detective says hooked her on heroin. We’ve also learned the methadone treatment center where Maricela was treated was on the same block as the store and the church where she was last seen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elaine Park’s car was found near a Malibu beach 3 days after her family reported the 20-year-old missing following a date with her boyfriend. Her car keys, cell phone and personal items were still inside. Will Cierzan, 58, vanished from the kitchen of his Valencia home after cooking dinner for his wife. Security video does not show him leaving. Nancy Grace & Alan Duke look at these new Los Angeles cases and new info about Maricela Garcia, who vanished while shopping at a Goodwill store. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maura Murray was a 21-year-old college student in February 2004 when she was last seen after crashing her car on a winding road in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Lance Reenstierna and Tim Pilleri began exploring her unsolved disappearance in 2015, sharing what they’re finding on the "Missing Maura Murray" podcast. Their journey can seem as challenging as the hairpin curve where Murray’s car ran off the road. Tim and Lance are guest on for Thursday’s episode of “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mother of missing Iraqi War veteran Chase Massner worries that Georgia police have run out of leads in the investigation of what happened to her son. Massner was 26 when he vanished from a friend’s home in Kennesaw, Georgia, on March 27, 2014. “I just want the truth,” Stephanie Cadena tells Nancy Grace in Wednesday’s “Crime Stories” podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. Army veteran Chase Massner was 26 when he vanished without a trace from a friend's home in Kennesaw, Georgia, on March 27, 2014. Nancy Grace re-examines the mystery after an emotional plea for help from Chase's mom. Calls from friends and family have flooded Nancy's "Crime Stories" hotline asking for Grace to look at the three-year-old case. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of Maricela Garcia hopes a private investigator will help them find the 26-year-old woman who disappeared while shopping at a Reseda, California, Goodwill store. Nancy Grace argues with reporter Alan Duke about the relevance of a new revelation -- that Garcia was arrested on a drug charge a year ago. The charge was later dismissed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sister of Maricela Garcia, the California woman who disappeared while shopping at a Los Angeles area Goodwill Store, is desperately pleading with Los Angeles police to investigate the case that detectives labeled “voluntary missing.” A smashed cell phone, a torn necklace and a tracking dog’s reaction convinced her family that the 26-year-old woman was kidnapped. Nancy Grace discusses the LAPD’s reluctance to work the case with Alan Duke, who walked Maricela’s last path with her family. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a follow up to the "Vanished in the Valley" episode with a surprising new development in the disappearance of Laura Lynne Stacy. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke also take a closer look at what is known about Maricela Garcia, the Los Angeles woman who disappeared while shopping for a costume at a Goodwill store. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(UPDATE: Laura Stacy was found alive hours after we posted this podcast! Details in next episode. ) Maricela Garcia and Laura Lynne Stacy didn’t know each other, but the young women share a common fate — both have gone missing in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in recent days. Garcia disappeared just blocks from where another Valley woman was found half-nude and bound after a four-hour-long kidnapping ordeal a day later. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the mysteries. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The father of murdered New York jogger Karina Vetrano lives every day seeking justice for his daughter. His current fight is to convince New York officials to approve a groundbreaking new DNA analysis that he hopes will help find the killer. Phil Vetrano shares with Nancy Grace emotional details of the day of his daughter’s death. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Toledo, Ohio, man and his son want to quote biblical scriptures in their defense against charges they raped two children, including the older man's stepdaughter. The judge will allow the duo to represent themselves with lawyers and to have the Bible at the defense table. However, Timothy and Esten Ciboro won't let them use it when questioning the children testifying abut the alleged sex abuse. Nancy Grace & Alan Duke discuss the case. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public release of video showing a “vehicle of interest” hovering in a parking lot near the church where Missy Bevers was murdered has spurred new speculation about the killer’s identity. But when you zoom in on the car, can you really see the killer? Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the theories and what they've confirmed from a third source close to the unsolved case. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The LAPD detective investigating the kidnapping of a woman in Van Nuys, California, allegedly by two hispanic women, gives Nancy Grace new details. He weighs in on speculation this abduction could be related to the Sherri Papini case. Grace and reporter Alan Duke discuss this and other missing female cases in California. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Up & Vanished" podcaster Payne Lindsey discusses his latest revelations about the Tara Grinstead case. The Georgia school teacher and former beauty queen disappeared in 2005, leaving a mystery that baffles investigators. It's a case that Nancy Grace has watched closely since soon after Grinstead was reported missing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grace Packer's dismembered body was found in Pennsylvania woods months after her adopted mother reported the 14-year-old missing. Investigators say the mom and her boyfriend killed the teen while acting out an 18-hour-long "rape-murder fantasy." Nancy Grace discusses the gruesome and bizarre details with reporter Alan Duke. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy Grace digs into a cold case that's very personal to her: The murder of Chuckie Mauk. The 13-year-old boy was shot to death while riding his bike in a middle Georgia community in 1986. His mom talks to Nancy about her hope for justice decades later and the grief that won't go away. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kidnapping or missing person cases that turn out to be a hoax hurts victims of real crimes. Police, the media and the public can become suspicious when circumstances are similar. While hoax kidnappings have been around for decades, today’s social media give skeptics a bigger platform to speculate. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss this. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.