Verdict Watch
Cases resolved in court — sentencings, guilty pleas, convictions, and acquittals.
Texas Mother Sentenced to 25 Years After Leaving Toddler in Hot Car; She Stopped at McDonald's on Way to Hospital Where Child Was Pronounced Dead
Vanessa Esquivel was convicted of murder for leaving her 15-month-old son in a vehicle with no working air conditioning while she worked a shift at a Frisco spa.
Verdict HomicideWest Virginia Man Admits to Threatening Trump With .308 Rifle, Detailed Kill Descriptions Sent to Donald Trump Jr.
Cody Smith, 20, pleaded guilty to threatening the president and retaliating against federal officials by threat, with no plea agreement in the case.
Verdict Homicide"She Got Really Mad": Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Estranged Wife Over Nintendo Switch During Divorce
Joshua Orlando admitted to shooting Ivy Unruh after she struck him with the gaming console; he faces at least 38 years in prison.
Verdict HomicideKentucky Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison After High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash Killing 10-Year-Old Jake Luxemburger
Tymetrius Walter pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and other charges for the September 2023 crash that claimed the life of a boy weeks before his 11th birthday.
Verdict HomicideIdaho Man Sentenced to Life for Drugging Woman, Sharing Assault Videos on Telegram Group
Thomas Spencer, 51, admitted to repeatedly assaulting the victim while she was unconscious and uploading videos documenting his crimes.
Verdict HomicideSouth Carolina Man Sentenced to 45 Years After Covering Dead Wife With Blanket, Spending Night in Home Before Calling 911
Scott M. Horton was convicted of murder for the June 2020 beating death of his common-law wife Patricia Smerdell at their Lexington County residence.
Verdict HomicideSouth Carolina Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Killing Common-Law Wife, Leaving Her Body on Floor Overnight
Scott M. Horton convicted of murder in the June 2020 beating death of Patricia Smerdell; prosecutors documented more than 30 injuries to the victim.
Verdict HomicidePro-Palestinian Protester Sentenced in Connection With Fatal Attack on Jewish Man
The sentencing has drawn criticism amid ongoing tensions over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Verdict HomicideWisconsin Man Sentenced to 18 Years After Leaving His Mother to Die Alone in Crashed Car, Hiding in Crawl Space
Casey Yiannackopoulos pleaded guilty to homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle after abandoning his 77-year-old mother following a crash in Muskego.
Verdict HomicideFlorida Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Mother Discovers Dead Girlfriend Under Tarp During Hurricane Milton
Robert Hendrix pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Kristin Carrier, whose body was found wrapped in a tarp inside his Jacksonville bedroom.
Verdict Homicide'I Have Her Ashes on My Chest': Kentucky Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing His 9-Month-Old Daughter
Syied Epps pleaded guilty to murder via domestic violence in the July 2023 death of infant Sykia Epps, whom he allegedly slammed down, causing fatal brain trauma.
Verdict HomicideAn 80-Year-Old Lyft Driver Picked Up a Passenger. He Had No Idea That Man Had Just Killed a Woman.
Joshua Gossett was sentenced to 150 years in prison for the murders of Shunish Baggett and Richard Skelskey, whose daughter found him dead on the kitchen floor.
Verdict HomicideWashington Man Who Shot Sleeping Mother in Head as 7-Year-Old Son Lay Beside Her Sentenced to 25 Years
Christopher Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of Irah Sok, a well-known photographer in Everett, Washington.
Verdict HomicideFormer Kansas City Police Officer Convicted of Second-Degree Murder in Fatal Walmart Parking Lot Shooting
A jury found Taquiza Johnson guilty of killing 71-year-old Ronald Barnett less than two minutes after their initial confrontation, recommending life imprisonment.
Verdict HomicideThat's Just Crazy to Me': Former KCPD Officer Found Guilty of Murdering 71-Year-Old Man Outside Walmart in Random Parking Lot Confrontation
Taquiza Johnson faces life in prison after jury convicts him of second-degree murder in the August 2024 shooting death of Ronald Barnett.
Verdict Homicide'I'm Done': Washington Son Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing Father With Steak Knife, Jumping Over Dying Body
Damian Eiffert called his ex-girlfriend moments after killing Robert 'Boby' Eiffert, saying he could not take his father anymore.
Verdict TrialsMississippi District Attorney Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy, Resigns
Jody Owens admits to accepting $115,000 in bribes while Hinds County DA as part of scheme involving Jackson's former mayor.
Verdict HomicideWild Bodycam Video Shows LA Officers Open Fire on Knife-Wielding Suspect Who Threw Blades at Police
Robert Velasquez, a 40-year-old convicted felon with paranoid schizophrenia, allegedly lunged at LAPD Hollenbeck officers while armed with knives and a grilling fork before being shot twice and subdued.
Verdict HomicideFugitive Malibu CEO Flaunts Bavarian Lifestyle on Instagram While Dodging 15-Year Sentence; Actress Girlfriend Pleads Guilty to Aiding Escape
Bernhard Eugen Fritsch posts photos from Germany months after vanishing before sentencing in $20 million fraud case, as Lucinda Manera faces up to 5 years for helping him stay on the run.
Verdict HomicideVictor 'Frito' Frieson III Convicted of Murder, Torture in Killing of California Artist Zoe Reidy Watts
Alameda County jury finds 30-year-old guilty of murdering ceramic artist after date night following two-week trial.
Verdict HomicideCalifornia Woman Pleads Guilty to Spying on Ex-Husband Through Ring Cameras, Livestreaming Over 700 Hours of His Home
Rayna Bell accessed her ex's security cameras for approximately two months, viewing an average of 12 hours per day including footage of the fiancee breastfeeding their newborn.
Verdict HomicideMichigan Father Sentenced to Life After Children Describe 'Good Morning' Before He Shot Them With .380, Killing Son
Jeffrey Smerer pleaded guilty to murder and assault charges in the September 2025 attack that left his 17-year-old dead and two other children critically injured.
Verdict HomicideIdaho Man Allegedly Attacked Woman With Nunchucks After Being Forced to Walk Home From Hospital
Melvin Blackburn, 67, faces felony aggravated battery charges with a deadly weapon enhancement that could bring up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Verdict HomicideGilgo Beach Serial Killer Rex Heuermann's Therapist Practiced Without License for Years, Charged With Fraud
Alison Winter allegedly received $60,000 in bogus insurance reimbursements while treating the convicted murderer who confessed eight killings to her.