Verdict Watch
Cases resolved in court — sentencings, guilty pleas, convictions, and acquittals.
Florida Father Sentenced to 38 Years for Fatally Beating 12-Year-Old Son, Leaving Him to Die Alone in Laundry Room
Jason Godleski pleaded no contest to second-degree murder after initially facing a possible life sentence for the 2021 killing of his son Noah.
Verdict HomicideFlorida Mother Convicted of Murdering Adopted Son, 4, Who Didn't Resist Beatings Because Abuse Was 'Normal'
Patricia Saintizaire adopted Bryan Boyer from Haiti in April 2023; prosecutors say she beat him so routinely he stopped fighting back before his death.
Verdict HomicideLas Vegas Woman Allegedly Married to Six Men While Scamming Dozens for Gambling Money
Jiaying Chen, 33, is expected to plead guilty to bigamy and obtaining more than $100,000 under false pretenses after police say she targeted men on dating apps with fake sick relative stories.
Verdict HomicideJesse Matthew Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Hannah Graham
The 2014 disappearance and killing of the James Madison University student shocked Virginia and revealed disturbing connections to another unsolved case.
Verdict HomicideGerman Doctor With 'Lust for Murder' Convicted in Deaths of 15 Patients, Sentenced to Life
A German court convicted a former physician of killing at least 15 patients in his care, sentencing him to life imprisonment after prosecutors described his actions as driven by a 'lust for murder.'
Verdict HomicideCleveland Carjacker Sentenced to 51 Years for Shooting Mother in Face, Throwing Toddler Into Snow
Ronald Loftis, 47, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and felonious assault charges stemming from the January attack that left a woman with a gunshot wound to her face.
Verdict Homicide'How The F— Is She Still Breathing?': Kentucky Teen Who Recorded Fatal Attack On Grandmother Sentenced To Life With Possibility Of Parole
Wyatt Testerman, who admitted to beating 74-year-old Cheri Oliver with a metal tumbler after checking her pulse during the assault, was sentenced Tuesday in Erlanger.
Verdict Homicide'I'm Going to Kill Your Friend': Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Victim in Face at Park While Searching for Sister
Ibrahim Ali Mohamed, 21, admitted to first-degree assault for the May 2025 shooting that left his victim with life-threatening injuries requiring surgery.
Verdict HomicideFederal Judge Rejects Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect's Bid to Dismiss Charges Using Trump's Clemency Order
U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali rules President Donald Trump's pardon applies only to those already convicted, not to Brian Cole Jr., who was merely charged.
Verdict HomicideWest Virginia Man Sentenced to Life Plus 80 Years in Family Massacre That Killed Mother, Stepfather and Two Brothers Including a Toddler
Gavin Blaine Smith, who was 16 when he allegedly shot four family members in December 2020, accepted a plea deal Monday to avoid a second trial after his initial conviction was overturned.
Verdict HomicideNebraska Mother Allegedly Covered 9-Month-Old's Head With Blanket, Held It Down as Infant 'Crying Bloody Murder'
Alyssa Parkins faces homicide charges in infant's death nearly four years to the day after her ex-boyfriend was convicted of killing their other child.
Verdict HomicideDelaware Woman Found Stabbed 58 Times, Dismembered Body Stuffed in Suitcase After Ex-Boyfriend Waited at Her Apartment
Nobert Matara pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison for the December killing of Tracy Nyariki.
Verdict HomicideDelaware Man Sentenced to Life for Murdering Ex-Girlfriend, Stabbing Her 58 Times and Stuffing Remains in Suitcase
Nobert Matara pleaded guilty to first-degree murder nearly two years after Tracy Nyariki was killed at her Newark apartment.
Verdict HomicideDelaware Man Gets Life Sentence for Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend 58 Times, Dismembering Her Body
Nobert Matara pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the killing of Tracy Nyariki, whose remains were found stuffed in a suitcase at a Maryland motel.
Verdict HomicideTexas 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.