Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

At age 10, Erica Bilheimer got a fresh name with a fresh start. Adopted by Heather and Steven Snapp, she chooses to now be known as "Hollynn" Snapp. Hollynn and the Snapps remain in close contact with her previous foster mother, Leslie Hunt, who took care of Hollynn for more than a year. Over time, Hollynn doesn’t change much. At 19, Hollynn stands just 4 feet, 9 inches tall, and is diagnosed with a low IQ; she has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old child. On October 5, Hollynn texts Heather she’s attending a party at a home on Bell Ridge Drive with a man a trusted friend introduced her to, 52-year-old Steven Linkous. In her text, Hollynn mentions Linkous didn’t want her telling anyone his name, which Heather finds odd. Hollynn texted Heather an address in Kingsport and said, "Hey, this is where I am, and this iswho I am with, although he didn't want me to tell you his name," but she told Heather his name in the text. Foster mom, Leslie Hunt, assumes Hollynn started inpatient treatment when Hollynn hadn’t reached out in more than a week, but is shocked to see a Facebook post from Heather Snapp, asking if anyone has seen or spoken to Hollynn. Heather tells Leslie about Hollynn’s last text, and they agree that if Hollynn had access to a phone, she would have reached out by now. Heather struggles to get local authorities to take a missing person report, so the women report Hollynn missing to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office. After Hollynn is reported missing, Hollynn’s friend comes forward about leaving Hollynn at Linkous.’home Hollynn was last seen on October 5 at a "party" on Bell Ridge Drive in Kingsport, Tennessee. Witnesses said she had taken a beating and was not coherent. Hollynn is described as weighing 90 pounds, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and an ‘Eye of Providence’ tattoo on her forearm. Anyone with info is asked to call Sullivan County Sheriffs at 423-279-7330 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. Joining Nancy Grace: Detective Anthony Stevens - Lead Detective in the Hollynn Snapp case, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, TN Captain Richard Frazier - Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, TN Leslie Hunt - Hollynn's Former Foster Mom Heather Snapp - Hollynn's Adoptive Mom Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Steve Fischer [FISH-er] (San Bernardino, CA) Missing Persons Private Investigator, Search & Rescue Specialist, & Owner of Search Investigations, website: search investigations.org, Facebook: SearchInvestigations, X: @SF_Investigates Franz Borghardt - Criminal Defense Attorney, Founder of Borghardt Law Firm, Former Prosecutor, Adjust Professor at Louisiana State University Teaching Criminal Litigation, website: www.borghardtlawfirm.com, Instagram and Facebook: BorghardtLawFirm Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawyers representing Luigi Mangione are requesting that the death penalty be halted in his federal murder trial, citing a purported "conflict of interest" involving Attorney General Pam Bondi, as detailed in a recent court submission.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Austin police respond to a home in Del Valle after receiving a 911 call about a 7-year-old girl who discovered starved and locked inside a bedroom closet. Six other children are also found in the home, but police say it appears they are physically healthy. According to reports, the child was soiled and barricaded in a closet with heavy boxes blocking the door. An arrest affidavit reveals Virginia Marie Gonzales is accused of locking the 7-year-old girl in a closet for “weeks at a time.” The affidavit further states the girl’s grandmother told police that the child had trouble controlling her bladder and often ate things she shouldn’t. This allegedly led to her siblings being instructed to keep her locked in the closet. The 7-year-old was hospitalized and is now recovering. During the investigation, detectives learn about another child, Ava, who has been missing for years. Virginia Marie Gonzales, Ava‘s mother, was arrested on a charge of serious injury to a child in connection with the 7-year-old’s case. According to police, the missing now 9-year-old child was last seen when she was just 2 years old and in the custody of her mother, Virginia Marie Gonzales. Now, Gonzales has rejected a plea offer related to her arrest. The State offered Gonzales a 40-year prison sentence in exchange for her guilty plea. She and her attorney, Gabe Hernandez, rejected the offer, calling it “utterly absurd.” Gonzales is still in custody. Trial is set to begin January 26, 2026. Joining Nancy Grace today: LeAnne Marie - Friend of Mom, Virginia Gonzales Bronwyn Blake - Adjunct Professor, University of Texas School of Law; Chief Legal Officer, Texas Advocacy Project; Founder: Teen Justice Initiative (advocating for teen victims of dating violence); Facebook and Instagram: @TexasAdvocacyProject Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist in Atlanta: Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital Daryl Parker - Private Investigator at Blackfish; Former Lieutenant in the Fannin County Sheriff's Office, Private Investigator at Blackfish Intelligence Former Marine, Former Texas Police Officer worked with the Innocence Project of Texas for the last ten years); Instagram: @blackfishintel, FB – blackfishintelligence Virginia Bagby - Director of the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline; Facebook and Instagram: @ChildHelp Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Christina Aguayo - National News Anchor, Salem News Channel; Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNew See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content Warning: This episode discusses the deaths of individuals. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns reflects on how celebration and death often share the same season. From Christmas music echoing through the medical examiner's office to a door-decorating contest that nearly led to suspension, he recalls the unusual ways morgue culture adapts to the holidays. Dr. Crowns also recounts a corporate holiday party that ended in homicide, explains the science behind neck injuries, and remembers the “death watch” he and his father kept while delivering newspapers to those who died alone during the most festive time of the year. Highlights • (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns • (0:45) Christmas music in the morgue and a memory that tested family tolerance • (3:45) Door-decorating competitions from residency and the Rudolph controversy • (7:30) Holiday parties, the rumored poisoning case, and the politics of the potluck table • (11:00) The dangers of open bars at holiday office parties and a rivalry gone wrong • (14:00) Understanding subarachnoid hemorrhages, vertebral artery tears, and blunt-force trauma • (17:45) Decomposition and the reality of those who die unnoticed, leading to the “death watch” lessons learned on a paper route • (22:15) Closing reflections: the importance of checking in on others during the holiday season About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange, grisly, and sometimes absurd realities of forensic pathology. About the Show Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations. Connect and Learn More Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on Linkedin. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week: Sources claim Nick Reiner was diagnosed with Schizophrenia before parents were murdered and the recent medication change "made him erratic and dangerous" A scathing lawsuit is calling out a hospital - accusing them of gross negligence after a granny's skull chunk it tossed out - in a bone blunder. They offered a $25 gas card to make up for the error. The individual suspected of last week's mass shooting at Brown University has been discovered deceased in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, following a six-day multi-state manhunt. The arrest of sixty-eight-year-old Joe Campbell, a once-celebrated children’s pastor now accused of first-degree rape and lewd acts involving a child under sixteen, marks what survivors say is a long-overdue reckoning more than forty years in the making. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.