*Preview* Crime Wire Weekly 3/20/26 | Melanie Curtin Verdict, Flamingo Assaults and Tarantula Toss

0:16 Welcome back, folks, and we have a heck of his show coming your way today. Look at just a few of the topics. In Louisiana, a woman is sentenced to life in prison for engaging in an alleged rape during a threesome. She gets a new trial, she gets reduced charges. In just a few days ago, is found not guilty by a twelve person jerry. In Florida, a man is jailed after he picked the wrong guy to thright down to a local car wash with an axe. A woman in Tennessee takes doxing to a whole new level when she posts a man's unredacted arrest warren online. In Utah, we have a verdict in the Corey rich AND's murder case, and we have an update to the Georgia case involving your teacher killed during a high school prank. These stories and so much more coming your way today on Crime Wire Weekly.

1:06 I'm Jim Chapman and I'm Kelly Jennys. We're gonna start off here at home. We're gonna start off in Livingston, Paris, Louisiana, right where we record out of right now, and I'm gonna tell you about a Livingston Paris jury who on Tuesday, March seventeenth, twenty twenty six, found Melanie Carton not guilty on all charges of simple rape and video voyeurism after deliberating for about three hours, and this was at the end of an eight day retrial. Tears of joy filled the courtroom as in a unanimous twelve person jury delivered the verdict. Curtain, who had faced up to twenty five years in prison if convicted, burned down emotionally alongside her mother, fiance, and youngest son. Quote.

1:52 I am so thankful for the people that prayed for me and fought for me, and I'm looking forward to freedom, Curtin told reporters outside of the courthouse. When asked what she had to say to Livingston Parish, she added, quote, I'm never coming back and I can't blame her there. The case dates back to November of twenty fourteen, when a video recorded at the home of the then Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Dennis Perkins, captured a sexual encounter involving Curtin, Perkins, and another woman. Prosecutors allege the woman was unconscious and unable to consent with Curtin assisting in that assault. The video was discovered some five years later during the sprawling investigation into Perkins and his wife, Cynthia Perkins. Now, I want to note, and it's important to say, these timelines did not cross. Melanie Curtin was related to none of these child sex cases. And that's very important because it has been conflated and mixed up and people think that those cases were they do not. Curtin was arrested in February of twenty twenty. Now, in her first trials, she was convicted of first degree rape sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal overturned that conviction in twenty twenty three. They ruled that the trial judge improperly restricted her defense and alloud prejudicial evidence, which violated her constitutional right to a

3:27 fair trial. The retrial proceeded on reduced charges of simple rape and video voyeurism. Defense attorney Jena Whet argued successfully that evidence showed Curtin was another victim of perkins manipulative say that three times fast behavior. We are happy and thankful that the jury had finally recognized Melanie as one of Dennis Perkins's many victims and that she can finally put this saga behind her, Wheat said after the verdict, the defense called just one witness, though a very powerful witness, in roughly thirteen minutes of testimony describing Perkins's pattern of instructing his partners to pretend to be asleep during encounters.

4:13 Cartin did not testify. The prosecution, led by the Louisiana AG's Office, maintained the eighteen minute video, which was played twice for jurors with the courtroom cleared. Incidentally, each time clearly showed non consensual acts. The victim testified she had no memory of the night and only learned the assault when shown the video. Years later, Assistant Attorney General Erica Moore expressed her disagreement with the verdict but respect for the jury's decision, noting this case was tried in the court of public opinion and the media before it got to court. Attorney General Liz Merrell issued a statement expressing profound disappointment. Quote after a retrial, years of lays, extensive core proceedings, and other factors, this is not the outcome we had hoped for. In our disappointment, is a grave understatement.

5:09 The victim in this case endured horrific abuse at the hands of Dennis Perkins and courageously testified about that trauma. I'm so sorry the system failed her. Miro praised the victim's courage in the prosecutor's efforts while criticizing court rulings that said she weakened, that said weakened Louisiana rape shield law, and a media campaign she believes influenced the process. She emphasized that Dennis Perkins convicted of heinous sex crimes including miners, including involving miners, and sentenced to one hundred years, and Cynthia Perkins remained behind bars curtain, as I said, was never accused of involvement in any crimes related to children.

5:54 Judge Brian Abels did preside over this trial, and the vertict marked more than a day long legal ord deal for Carton, who maintained her innocence throughout. Yeah, this one was a very, very It almost feels like a personal one because it was local. So many people around here, I know made opinions based on what the media, you know, put out there. That's all you would know. And that goes both ways too, you know. I feel like there was media coverage that was shedding every party in good light and in bad light. I felt like it was kind of all over the place. But the facts are that Jem and I dedicated our time to go sit through every single day of this trial.

6:41 We took meticulous notes. I know I did. I saw you taking meticulous notes. And I have to tell you that the jury got this one right. This jury got it right. Yeah. There was not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, not even closed by any stretch. In my opinion, there were a lot of holes in this case, a lot of unanswered questions. And in this country, you have to have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to convict somebody. Yeah, And I can tell you that I never followed the first trial and I did follow the second one because I was you know this curiosity. You want to know, you're curious about it. And what I can tell you is that I had preconceived notions before going into this trial to take notes. And my jaw literally dropped at certain points that the testimony, the testimony on the prosecution side, I think almost sealed the deal from me that it was not guilty more than anything. Yeah, their their witnesses were just not helpful to their own case.

7:55 Yeah. I don't know how you saw it, but that's how I saw it. Well, let's apparently how the jury saw it. Yeah, for sure, because it was unanimous. It wasn't a hung jury. It wasn't you know, what is it six five one way and seven the other. I mean, this was a unanimous not guilty verdict, which I think speaks volumes to proven the case. Yeah, And I can tell you. And they're difficult cases, these these consent cases. They're difficult cases. There's not fine lines there on a lot of cases that involved consent. Yeah. And so I felt like the verdict that was reached was the same verdict I had in my head based off of the evidence that I heard in court.

8:45 Yeah, period, period. And I know I'll add this and this is a personal opinion. I'm sure that people don't share it, but I never feared the government before this trial, and I can tell you it instilled a little bit of further reaching fear in me that things could go this far with not a lot of proof. Yeah. And you know what Kelly's referencing here For those that may be unfamiliar, I mentioned it in the in the article, but she was in prison for life, and it was it was several questionable rulings that created this new trial under reduced charges because the first case was thrown out. But I can only imagine having to resign your brain to you know, I'm in jail for a lot.

9:35 I mean, she didn't foresee this appeal coming in her having another shot at proving her innocence in this case, which is really an oxymoron in itself, because you shouldn't have to prove your innocence you innocents. Just the opposite, And it's to avoid things like this from occurring. Now, what occurs in the public spectrum. Look, this is a social media world. You are not going to be able to control people's opinions on social media, and we've seen that many cases throughout the country. And the majority of the people on this jury, from what I understand, did not have familiarity with this particular case. As a matter of fact, one juror was interviewed afterwards and said they had no familiarity with Melanie Carton at all.

10:24 Well, and there's something else here too that I think is interesting to a concept that we as people could at least consider is that when the appellate court originally ruled that, look this, basically, the deck was stacked against Melanie Curtain because of some rulings of evidence that was allowed and was not allowed, and they felt like it was an error. The way that that was done, they must have been correct, because what are the chances of someone going from life in prison to the new trial with these new rules in place of what can be allowed and not allowed, and then a twelve person jury unanimously say this person is not guilty. That must lend itself to that the decision made by the appellate court must have been the correct decision for them to flip flop that hard for a jury to flip flop that hard.

11:09 Yes, and while we believe she's not guilty, and that jury believed that she is not guilty, it's important to note that they not guilty of verty can acquittal her the same thing. And what that means in a llegal definition is that this case was not proved beyond a reasonable doubt. There's only three people in this particular case that know the absolute well four because I'm a believer and I believe God knows the absolute truth. But aside from all that, it's the accused, the accuser, and Dennis Perkins, who is not talking, so you know, those are really the only definitive people that know. But based off of the evidence shown in trial, I wasn't I wasn't convinced.

11:58 Nor was I so what I would hope for, And you know, every case is a learning lesson, and when you are specifically going every day to court, it's very different, I think than just seeing the headlines every day and something else. I learned that I think I already knew. But there are certain media outlets that posted the polar opposite of what was said in court. And some of them were spot on and were one correct, but there were some media outlets. When I tell you the absolute antithesis of what was said in court, my jaw dropped. And so this is where the due diligence of the public should come in. You should. I know, we don't all have time to go to trials, right and listen to them and all that, But before you get behind a keyboard and you start professing your beliefs on something when you have no foundation other than a headline, it taught me a lesson. Yeah, better take a step back you better watch what you say because you can be proven dead wrong based on evidence presented to you, right, you know.

13:02 And one more thing on my end before we stopped talking about this look. I was there personally as a citizen of Livingston Parish, a concerned citizen of Livingston Parish who wanted to know what occurred based off of the facts that I saw in the trial and the looks that I was given and people I was with, I didn't care too much for you know, this is let me tell you something I fully believe is we are in open court, in the people's house, and everybody should encourage the public to participate in the court system, even if it's from the standpoint of a spectator learning more about the court system, which is what I was there for.

13:53 I wanted to know what occurred in this case in my parish, Okay, and I had a lot of people from outside of this parish that were looking at me as if I didn't belong there, as if I was an enemy. I felt like I had formed an opinion either way, and these people were looking at me as if I was there to be critical of every step of the process. I didn't have an opinion one way or the other one. I shut up. So I didn't care for that. And so if any of those people are listening, don't make people feel uncomfortable for going to court and participating in the system. Yeah. And I'm going to add to it though and tell you this. I felt genuinely like I was public enemy number one for even questioning the prosecution's case, which that's not why I was there either. I wasn't there to question their case. I was there to get the facts of the case. And I agree, I felt like there were some intimidation factors that were being employed there.

14:51 I don't think it was right, and I didn't appreciate it because I didn't do that to anyone else. I wasn't there to intimidate other people. I was there to just listen. Mere presence made others feel the necessary that they should glare or should make me feel like I shouldn't be there. It's dead wrong, and you're right. It's the people's. Court that's right. And there's no two other people who are more supporters of law enforcement. Heck, the Attorney General i've hated for, I support her. I like her. I agree with ninety nine point nine percent of what jesuays, they're kicking ass. I'm not. I'm not an enemy. Yeah, they're kicking ass. Getting all these fraud people arrested getting medicaid benefits. I mean, she's slaying it. If you watch I follow their feed, you know, getting all these child predators and all of this off the streets. Kudos to you, job well done. But there's also some cases that aren't that strong, and maybe it's a learning lesson for everybody, right, you know, all right, let's move on.

15:48 Let's go to Tennessee. A forty eight year old woman has been arrested and charged with identity theft after allegedly posting an unredacted copy of a man's arrest warrant on social media exposing sinsitive personal information. Emily, who goes by Emma Berger, was taken into custody following an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office authority. Say Burger posted the document on March eleventh to the Facebook group Uncensored Voices of Monroe County Revamped, which included Mitchell Cook's full name, date of birth, driver's license number, and social security number. Cook, the subject of the warrant, reported to police, that he had not authorized the release of his personal details. Berger reportedly later removed the original post, redacted the sensitive information, and then reposted it, admitting in the new post that she had initially shared it unredacted. Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones explained in a statement, while many county records are public records and can be viewed by the public, certain information contained within those records is protected by law and is not permitted to be publicly disclosed, including personal identifying information such as social security numbers and driver's license numbers.

16:58 He added that the d's investigation determined the unredacted posting constituted a criminal offense. The warrant originated from the Monroe County Clerk of Courts electronic system accessed by an authorized individual. According to Jones, the clerk is identified as Duana Martin, and ongoing probe is examining how Berger obtained the document. Berger was booked into the Monroe County jail and released after posting a three thousand dollars bond. It remains unclear if she has obtained legal representation. Her mugshot has been released by authorities, So. How did you get it? Get this that's the called unredacted warrant, and the question what risk do you take from posting an unredacted warrant? I mean, it's a warrant for arrest. I would have assumed that was public record.

17:47 I would I would not have because I think about me and what information would I not want released to the public. Well, my social Security number, if there was a credit card number used in the I wouldn't want my credit card number out there. I wouldn't want my address if I was a victim put out there. So this is one of those situations where I would guess maybe she's ignorant of the law, realized it when someone pointed it out, went back and redacted it, but it was too late. You've already put it out there. So I don't know necessarily if it was malicious, but it was stupid. Well so, and I can tell you this too.

18:29 I'm actually working on a case right now, and right there on national television they posted a photo during the trial and it had the social Security card right there because it was a piece of evidence, and it was unredacted and right there on national television. So to me, it begs the question, though, why can they pot but but why can they stream it on national television and not catch charges yet this woman obtained the document and posted it and does collect her es. I'm just curious, And I don't know the answer to that, right right, I don't have a law on that. I don't. I don't either. And maybe that he had catch chargers and you're just not aware of it.

19:10 Maybe, but they haven't taken it down. Well she did, Yeah, Well makes you wonder, makes you. Wonder she shouldn't have gotten her hands on it in the first place. And there needs to be an investigation there, I agree. All right. Florida man jailed. We're going to tell you about this wild story. A thirty six year old man. He's behind bars after following a following a bizarre confrontation and a local car wash where he brandished an axe at two teenage employees, only to be subdued by one of those workers using mixed martial arts techniques. And I actually saw this video and this dude got his ass whip to say, you know, bluntly. Bryce Thayer was arrested. This was at the Tidal Wave Audience Spa. This was in a Calli, Florida.

19:59 After deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office. They responded to reports of an armed individual threatening staff. Now not only was he armed, but it was with an axe, and we'll get to that. According to authorities, Fare arrived at the car washes employees were closing for the day. He was told to leave the property. He gets pissed off. He removes an axe from his backpack. He approaches two brothers, eighteen year old Lindon Pino and his sixteen year old sibling in a threatening manner. Surveillance footage captured the moments Fayre advanced with the axe raised in This prompted Pino, who trains in MMA, to lunge forward. His younger brother grabbed the weapon while Pino executed a takedown, throwing elbows to the face. Penny fared to the ground, and then he applied what's done as a body triangle, followed by a rear naked choke, and he restrained him until law enforcement arrived. He said, quote, I was locking up all the doors. I heard screaming, someone yelling. He walked up through the tunnel and that's when he tells him, you gotta leave, man, you gotta leave. And you see that in the video. Then he lowered the acts and that's when I shot a take down. He said, he got on top of him, and y'all it was UFC style.

21:20 At this epay. Yeah, and this is a teenager man. He wasn't playing. Pinot express relief at the outcome, saying he's thankful that he was the one closing with his brother and not somebody else because he's able to protect his brother and that's exactly what he did, and he said that Thayer got everything he deserved. Upon arrival, deputies found there still restrained on the ground, took him into custody, and a search revealed a glass pipe used for matth amphetamine in his possession. Thayer's mudshot showed significant bruising on his face due to the altercation, and you should be seeing that right now if you're watching the Patreon video version of this.

22:03 They are faced two counts of felony aggravated assault with the deadly weapon without intent to kill, which was kind of strange considering you had an axe. And he also had account of possession of that glass pipe drug paraphernalia and he's being held in Marion County Jail on an eleven thousand dollars bond. So this makes me think weird to me, Yeah, this is something that makes me think about something I always said to my students when I was teaching. They would say, Miss Jens, can I ask you something? I'd say, time out, don't ask me, that's a felony. You can ask me, though, And I know they would always laugh at me, But you know, I'm saying, like, look, asking somebody's wrong, you know, And it was just a joke. But this case in point right here, don't ask somebody. Maybe because he said that he dropped the weapon down before he attacked him, maybe that's where they got through without intent to kill.

22:54 But you raise an axe at me, I'm assuming you're trying to kill me. Yeah, you would think that's attempted murder right there. But I'm not defending him, obviously. But in this case, I watched the video. He never like picked it up, and heck, he barely had time to get it out of his backpack. That guy was on good hey shut out to him. This kid right here is the prime example of every man should have the capability of being dangerous, but the authority to restrain it, and then that's when you use it. So that's awesome. Yeah, that's awesome. In his mud shot, y'all, his whole eyes closed. Yeah, his nose might with his nose might be pointing the wrong direction slightly too. All right, So we've got a big update for you here. We discussed this case last week and so I'm really excited to give you this update. All charges have been dismissed after five high school students involved in a senior prank that tragically resulted in the death of their math teacher when there was a crash after they were pulling this prank. The incident occurred on the evening of March seventh, twenty twenty six, when the teens identified as Jaden Wallace, Aiden Hucks and a Luke, Ariana Cruz and Elijah Tate Owens, arrived at Hughes's home in the Hall County as part of a senior prank tradition. According to the reports, the students were engaging in activities such as toilet papering or egging the property when Hughes, a forty six year old teacher and coach at North Hall High School, gave chase in his car.

24:20 During their pursuit, Hughes lost control of his vehicle veered off the road and struck a utility poll, sustaining fatal injuries. The teams, who were in two separate vehicles, reportedly stopped after witnessing the crash and attempted to render aid to Hughes before emergency services arrived. Despite their efforts, Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene. Initially, the students faced serious charges, including vehicular homicide for Wallace, who was driving one of the vehicles, as well as reckless driving, criminal trespass, and littering for all that were involved. However, on March thirteenth of twenty six, Hall County District Attorney Lee I believe you would say Darra requested the dismissal of all charges, which was approved by a judge in the Hall County Magistrate Court. The decision came after Hugh's widow, Laura Hughes, publicly expressed forgiveness and advocated for the charges to be dropped, emphasizing that the tragedy was an accident and that the students had shown remorse. Laura Hughes gets charges dismissed against five teens and husband's death, noted one report highlighting her role in the outcome. In a statement shared through her attorney, she conveyed a message of compassion, stating that she did not want the young lives of the students to be further ruined by the incident. Hughes was a well loved figure in the community, known for his dedication to teaching math and coaching at North Hall High School.

25:39 Yeah, and this is you know, we covered this extensively last week, but this is a situation of an accident. Yeah. There was no intention here to hurt anybody, certainly kill anybody. It was just a prank that went wrong. Yeah, and my understanding of this was wrong. Originally, my understanding was that he ran out to kind of like scare him, like ah, because he was excited, and like fell and then they hit him. That is how I understood it. But this is totally different. I never knew he got in his car, drove it and wrecked it. And even before I knew that, I thought, this is terrible. This is an accident, but even more so now, right, you know, so prayers for all of those people. And I think, my God, the grace that that wife shows, because you know, people want to point fingers when there's a tragedy it makes you feel better, that's right. But she is obviously a woman of integrity, Yeah and understanding.

26:37 All right, let's go to Utah and we have another update from a case that we brought you last week. Of course, Corey Richins, who is a Utah children's book author, this is all over the news. She was in trial these past several weeks for the aggravated murtyr of her husband after a fentanyl poisoning. A verdict has been reached and is guilty on all charges in that case. Prosecutors had argued that Richings fatally poisoned her husband, who is Eric Richinds. He was thirty nine years old. She used a lethal dose of fitting al and she actually laced what I learned was a moscow moscow mule cocktail. That was my man, How did I go fifty one years without knowing what a moscow?

27:29 I don't know. M it's just not your drink of I don't want to taste it. What is your drink of choice? Usually beer? Yeah, that's why you don't have that. I mean, I have beer in a cold mug, but. This is a crafted drink. You know. Well, I'm gonna try it. We need to get fancy. I had to make one copper mug. Yes, that's that I remember. So we have to go do this for research purposes. Well, that's how we'll say. We'll do it next episode. So Richins pleaded not guilty. Of course, in this trash had nothing to lose. She maintained her innocence throughout those persons and she even did a dateline NBC interview where you know, she discussed all this that she had nothing to do with this. It was pretty pretty high profile even even before the trial started, because of the fact that she was a children's book author and she is now going to spend the rest of her life in jail. The verdict was read she hung her head twenty five years to life as her sentence, But she's probably gonna be there for the rest of her life if i'm if I'm guessing there is no death penalty that was sought in this case.

28:35 Yeah, well, you know, I don't know how you could even defend that fentanyl showed up. You don't accidentally get ahold of that. Yeah, you know. So, in all honesty, I haven't followed this trial closely because I like for trials to end and then I like to go process on myself and go through it without the pressure of having to remember everything. And so that's what I'm going to dive into and check out. Yeah, and there was a ton of evidence in this case. And I mean even down to the guys. She bought the fentonyl frohim happened to be an informant. There you go. So the first thing you did was get a police and say I sold some to this you know, suburban white lady. I mean, quite fine.

29:15 She gave me a copy of her book. I'm just kidding if I didn't. But hey, everyone, Crime Wire Weekly has moved to its own new channel. We hope you've enjoyed this preview. To continue listening, please follow the link referenced in the description of this. Podcast, or simply search Crime Wire Weekly wherever you're listening. And don't forget to follow the show so you can be alerted when new episodes drop. Thanks for listening.