Verdict Watch
Cases resolved in court — sentencings, guilty pleas, convictions, and acquittals.
Five Years After Navajo Elder Ella Mae Begay Vanished, The Man Who Admitted Robbing Her Walks Free
Preston Tolth was sentenced to five years but released after serving less than two, leaving the 62-year-old grandmother still missing and her family reeling from another blow.
Verdict HomicideArkansas Mother Avoids Jail Time After Admitting to Abusing 6-Month-Old Baby, Calling Infant 'Potato' and 'Sack of Flour'
Ryanne Foster pleaded guilty to second-degree battery and was sentenced to three years of probation after doctors said the infant's injuries resembled those from a severe car accident.
Verdict HomicideMichigan Couple Sentenced to 8 Years, Plus Tennessee Term, for Starving Adopted Daughters, Confining Them to Dog Cages
Jessica and Jason Klimp, already serving 10-year sentences in Tennessee, received extended prison terms after Michigan prosecutors uncovered evidence of systemic child abuse.
Verdict HomicideMichigan Couple Sentenced to Additional 8 Years for Starving, Caging Adopted Daughters
Jessica and Jason Klimp, already serving a decade-long sentence from Tennessee, received extended prison terms after pleading no contest to first-degree child abuse charges in Michigan.
Verdict HomicideIllegal Migrant Who Sexually Assaulted Corpse on NYC Subway Sentenced to 5 Years
Felix Rojas pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and robbing Jorge Gonzalez, 37, whose body he found unconscious on an R train in Manhattan.
Verdict TrialsRex Heuermann, Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Who Terrorized Long Island for 3 Decades, Sentenced to Life
The confessed killer pleaded guilty in April to eight murders of sex workers whose bodies were found wrapped in burlap along desolate Long Island beaches.
Verdict HomicideMissouri Woman Pleads Guilty After Allegedly Trying to Trade Foster Daughter for a Monkey
Brenda Deutsch, 70, admitted to endangering the welfare of a child after investigators say she attempted to exchange the girl for an exotic animal.
Verdict HomicideMontana Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Murdering Inheritance Beneficiary Over $5K Payout Dispute
James Lawrence pleaded guilty to killing Ed Loder after learning he would receive only a fraction of the land inheritance worth millions.
Verdict HomicideArmy National Guardsman Pleads Guilty to Murdering Fellow Soldier Who Was Found in Bed With His Ex-Girlfriend
Natravien Landry admitted to shooting Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr. at Fort Gordon Army base after discovering him with the mother of his child.
Verdict HomicideSon Who Poured Tiki Torch Oil on Father's Head and Set Him Ablaze Sentenced to Life Without Parole
Joseph Ashley Garcia, 44, was convicted of murdering his 68-year-old father Joseph Michael Garcia while the victim held his dog on his lap.
Verdict HomicideFather Pleads Guilty to Murder in Death of 10-Year-Old Maine Boy Who Was Forced to Eat Dog Food, Bound with Zip Ties
Joshua Smith joins his wife and the child's grandmother in pleading guilty for their roles in the killing of Braxtyn Smith, who authorities say suffered two years of abuse.
Verdict Missing PersonsMan Kidnaps Witness Who Saw His Traffic Crash, Drives Around With Her for 4 Hours Before Capture
Shane McSwane pleaded guilty to kidnapping and attempted aggravated robbery in connection with the May 25 incident that began near Aurora's I-70/I-225 interchange.
Verdict HomicideArkansas Man Sentenced to 160 Years for Double Murder Over Family Debt Dispute
Billy Joe Nelson pleaded guilty to killing Jay Collins and Donny Shipp in Chester, Arkansas, after an argument about money between their families turned lethal.
Verdict HomicideGilgo Beach Killer Rex Heuermann Wrote to 'Happy Face Killer' While Reading Crime Novels Behind Bars, Sheriff Says
The Manhattan architect convicted of murdering seven women corresponded briefly with Keith Hunter Jesperson from his cell in Riverhead, New York.
Verdict HomicideWoman Sentenced for Role in Murder of Her Child's Father While He Was Babysitting
Markeisha Burns-Cross drove her boyfriend to kill Devon L. Williams at his Michigan home, prosecutors said, describing the slaying as a 'cold-blooded, premeditated ambush.'
Verdict HomicideOhio Mother Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of 12-Year-Old Son She Shot in Back of Head
Briasha Stroud admitted to shooting her son inside a parked garage before turning the gun on herself; boy survived but suffered life-altering injuries.
Verdict Homicide"That Day He Just Pushed Me Too Far": Man Sentenced for Fatally Shooting His Father During Argument Over Car Speakers
Jeffrey Young Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, telling the court his father had a history of violence and alcohol abuse that finally pushed him too far.
Verdict HomicideIndiana Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Stabbing Roommate During Fatal Argument Over Sleeping Arrangements
Draylon Crutchfield convicted of murder for killing Muhammad Williams, 18, after dispute about where to sleep in Fort Wayne apartment.
Verdict Missing PersonsShane McSwane Sentenced to 26 Years for Kidnapping Colorado Witness Who Saw His Traffic Crash
Grace Dotson was held captive for four hours after witnessing the crash in Aurora, with deputies ultimately rescuing her following a high-speed chase.
Verdict HomicideTexas Man Convicted in Death of 2-Month-Old Son After Keeping Infant's Corpse Wrapped in Blankets for Days
Miguel Angel Ortiz Jr. was found guilty of injury to a child by omission in the June 2025 death of his infant son; jury recommended 30-year sentence.
Verdict HomicideFormer Raiders Receiver Henry Ruggs Denied Parole Nearly 5 Years After Killing Las Vegas Woman in Drunken Crash
Nevada parole board upholds the three-to-10-year sentence for ex-NFL player who was convicted of DUI causing death and vehicular manslaughter.
Verdict HomicideElderly NYC Serial Killer Sentenced to Life After Dismembering Victim, Riding Around With Severed Arm
Harvey Marcelin, 88, convicted of murdering Susan Leyden and sentenced without parole after using a reciprocating saw on her body.
Verdict HomicideKentucky Woman Convicted of Manslaughter After Killing Man While Driving Over 90 MPH, Blaming Deer for Crash
Dusty Ratliff was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the 2022 death of James Kelly on a rural Kentucky road.
Verdict TrialsDid Implicit Bias Factor Into Karmelo Anthony's Guilty Verdict?
Legal analysts question whether the all-white jury and size disparity between defendant and victim influenced the 35-year murder sentence in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.