BONUS: UPDATE EPISODE

In this special bonus episode, we bring you the latest updates on cases we've covered in the past!

This time, those updates include: the status of the Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case (S01E01), a follow up on the Turpin children (S01E04), a big Barry & Honey Sherman update (S01E10) and follow-up on former cop Amber Guyger's appeal process (S02E13).

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EPISODE RESOURCES:

Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell Updates:
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-lori-vallow-chad-daybell-trial-scheduled-january-2023-20211202-2se6n5536bendbypfenor3y4iu-story.html

"Turpin Family House of Horrors" Update:
20/20 Episode:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Turpin Sisters on "Good Morning America":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cQd4RZT2Qo

ABC NEWS:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/years-rescue-turpin-children-living-squalor-donations-pledges/story?id=81254457

Barry & Honey Sherman:
Surveillance Footage and Image Released:
https://people.com/crime/surveillance-footage-shows-suspect-in-toronto-mansion-murders-of-billionaire-couple/

Toronto Police Press Conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGTEt3PGyts

Botham Jean Case: Amber Guyger Appeal Denied:
https://news.yahoo.com/privilege-runs-amber-guyger-appeal-170000625.html

Transcript

AJ: [00:00:00] Hey, everyone. Welcome to a special bonus episode of Crime Family! So this is our update episode. So we're going to share with you any updates we have about some of the cases that we've covered, um, and let you know the latest goings on with some of these cases from the past. Um, so we're just going to get right into it.

And the first case, um, there's actually an update on the very first case that we ever covered on the podcast. 

Katie: So the very first one on Season 1, episode 1 was Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell. And just to give you a little bit of background so you remember this case- it was like the doomsday couple that kind of had these beliefs about doomsday was coming and that people were turning into zombies and they had to kill their kids because they thought they had turned into zombies and there was a string of murders in the family.

Chad Daybell's wife had turned up dead, two of Lori Vallow's husbands ended up dying. And so that was [00:01:00] kind of, um, it's like a whole family kind of involved in this case here. 

Stephanie: So, yeah. Um, there's not a whole lot of an update to this case. Um, it's just last month that news came out, that their case, um, there, they will be going to trial, not until January 9th, 2023.

Um, this is because Lori uh, Lori Vallow is currently in a mental institution where she's been held since she's been arrested for the murders of her two children and her husbands. Um, and the reason why she's still there is because every time, like to be six months intervals, where they would keep her, and then they reevaluate her and it turns out that she's not fit to stand trial.

So she, they keep her longer. So this is why the trial has not yet begun and why it's taking so long for it to begin because they're waiting on to see if she is fit to stand trial, whenever that will be. So hopefully it will be in January of [00:02:00] 2023. That's all I have on that case.

AJ: It's kind of crazy. It's like, if she's not yet deemed fit to stand trial, now what's going to change in the next year?

Katie: Yeah. Is that typical that they wait until somebody is deemed like mentally capable to stand trial? Cause usually like in a lot of cases, it's just like, well, they're not capable to stand trial. So that's the end of it, but they're like waiting on her. So maybe it seems like, yeah, it was just it's temporary. She'll come out of it. 

Stephanie: Well, they want to try them together. So I think that's why they're waiting. But at this point I feel like just scrap the, trying them together and just try him first. And then when she's fit to stand trial, if she ever is then do her, I feel like just all this waiting is like, it's always, it's been already a few years and like, I feel like even a couple more years, people might not to remember the case. People might not like... their families just want to get it over with and move on with their lives.

Katie: But it must be some advantage to doing it together. And I feel that it might just [00:03:00] because it's almost like the exact same case for both of them. So it'll probably just save them money and time to do them both together. Cause they're gonna say the same thing for both of them basically.

Stephanie: COVID might be involved too. So maybe they're waiting to see how this pandemic pans out. But as of right now, it's not going too well, so we'll wait and see. 

AJ: Yeah. So yeah, still another year away. Pretty much still a wait, but, um, we'll definitely be following that, uh, trial when it's happening in a year's time or hopefully it could be longer, they postpone it again, but. Yeah. So that's the update we have for that one. So the next update we have is actually for the Turpin family case. 

Katie: So the Turpin case was Season 1 Episode 4, and it was the Turpin House of Horrors. So what happened in this case was the family, the parents were abusing, severely abusing all of their kids. They were withholding food. Um, there was [00:04:00] evidence that they were chained up to their beds as punishment. Um, And it came out that when finally one of them did escape and call the police, she was actually like in her teens, but everyone listening to that call thought she was only six years old. That's kind of how innocent and like just not experienced she was with a world that she didn't even know really what police were. She didn't know what medication was like, that kind of thing. And the house was just, it was filthy. It was not fit for anyone to live in, especially all these kids. Um, and eventually the parents did get caught and put in jail, but the, you know, the story for the kids is still ongoing, sadly.

AJ: Yeah. Um, so the update we have for this one, so actually not too long ago. So in November, they, there was a, ABC did a special about this case and actually Diane Sawyer interviewed two of the children from the house. One was Jordan, she was the one who actually made the 911 call and they actually [00:05:00] play like the 911 call in full length. Uh, we played a part of it on that episode, but you get the full thing, um, on the show. Um, and they also show you like, uh, police body cam footage of like, when they're talking to Jordan on the street. Um, actually in the moment when she asks him what medication is, she doesn't know what medication is, what injuries are, all these simple words. So, and then they show the police when they actually knock on the door and then, and, um, Louise and David come to the door and obviously seem very sketched out. Um, and then when they go into the house and stuff, so it shows all of that, which was pretty interesting. Um, and they also interviewed Jennifer who was, I believe the oldest child. So she was 29 at the time that they were rescued from the home. But, and so she's now 33, I believe, or she's in her early thirties now. So they do interview her as well. And it's just a really, really interesting, interesting, you know, special because you never have really heard from the children themselves. Um, so this is like kind of the first time that you actually do. [00:06:00] And some of the updates are pretty horrendous about the kids themselves. So obviously they were put into foster care. Um, obviously the underage ones were put into foster care and they were basically just bounced around from home to home there's allegations that they were treated terribly in these foster homes. Um, and some of them are even almost homeless. So some of the older ones, you know, couch when someone describes them as they were, they're like homeless or couch surfing. Um, and I believe it was Jordan who in her interview says that she was basically released from, you know, the care of the state, but she was released with like no life skills, no money, no, any way to really like, sort of take care of herself so she's struggling in that way. So it's really sad when you hear about the current state of things and you were like, hoping, like hoping that once they got out of the hands of their terrible parents, that maybe things would look up, um, a little bit, but it doesn't seem like that's the case. Obviously they're in a much better place than they were in that home, but they still have so much, [00:07:00] so many struggles that they're dealing with. And also there's reports that there was a huge amount of money. I believe it was like $600,000 or something that was, you know, fundraised for the children after the news became big and everyone knew about the case. And so all this money that was fundraised and apparently the kids don't have any access to it. None of it has been given to them directly. Um, I don't really know who's like in control of the funds, but basically they haven't gotten really any of that money. So it was just a really, really sad story. Um, so we're going to put a link to that special in the show notes, because it's really fascinating if you were interested in that case. Um, and we actually got like quite a bump in listens from, for that episode after the special aired. Um, I that's how I knew something, there was something happened and I always tell if I go to our stats and we see you know, a bunch of random downloads for an old episode, I'm like, okay, there's an update or something came out about this case. Um, so that's how I kinda knew, but yes. So we're going to put a link to that 'cause it's really, really sad. 

Katie: Yeah. I was just thinking, it's sad, [00:08:00] how, you know, these kids are in foster care and in, in the system, but then as soon as they become of age or become an adult, it's like, they're, they're shoo'd out into the street and they really have nothing. Like, nobody cares about them as soon as they turn 18 is kind of how it feels like. And it's really sad that that's a thing and that it happens, but yeah. 

AJ: Yeah. And it's really sad too. Like in the special day they actually, Diane Sawyer, she shows like pictures, um, that they have, that they had at like, you know, Disneyland and stuff, or like the video, when, I guess it was when David and Louise like renewed their vows in Vegas or something, that was part of the story. So there's like video of that, of that wedding, um, with the kids there and dancing and it makes the kids really, really emotional. It's really sad to hear, um, like what they're thinking about when they rewatch this footage back. So yeah. 

So the next one we have actually is recent developments in the Barry and Honey Sherman case.

Katie: So the Barry and Honey Sherman case was Season 1 Episode 10. [00:09:00] And this was the case of a wealthy, elderly couple that lived in the Toronto area in Canada. And so their story was Barry was a very successful pharmaceutical developer /businessman, and they were found dead in their home in a kind of a really mysterious way. There was, if you remember the statues that were in their house and they were kind of posed to look just like this statue that somebody had made for them. So that was like super eerie. Um, there was speculation that could have been a murder suicide, but just like the way the deaths were, it kind of seemed like that wasn't possible. And we kind of had talked about, maybe somebody was, was like financial things going on. So maybe somebody in their family had motive to kill them for financial reasons. Like he'd cut people out of deals and things that have, should have gotten a lot of money. So people, a lot of people could have been mad at him. Um, and you know, just because they were wealthy, they could have been at target of anybody. [00:10:00] And we talked about maybe somebody like hid in their house, waited until they came home and killed them, but there was really no evidence out there to suggest like who had done it and why they were killed, like from the police really. So, yeah, it was like a really mysterious one. 

AJ: Yeah. So still obviously an unsolved case, but back in December, so it was actually around, I believe it was on the fourth anniversary. So they were, um, the theories, the police believe that they were killed on December 13th, the night of December 13th, 2017 and their bodies weren't found until December 15th, 2017.

Um, so actually on the 13th or the 14th is when they released this update, so around the anniversary and they actually released some surveillance footage of this person that was walking on the sidewalk in the area near the Sherman home. And I mean the video itself, I mean, it's kind of laughable because it's so like generic and it's like, their description of this person is so [00:11:00] basic.

It's like they don't know anything about him, they're wearing or they're actually don't even know if it's a male or female, they're wearing a coat because it's obviously winter. Um, and there's just very few features in it. So like their description is so basic, it could be, it could fit the profile of millions, literally millions of people.

But, um, they basically said that they're releasing it, they knew of this surveillance footage earlier, but the he's kind of cryptic in this press conference that they hold. He says that they believed that the cost of releasing this information early on would have been detrimental versus releasing it now.

So that's why they're releasing it on the fourth anniversary- either basically pleading to the person in this video to come forward to clear their name, if it's totally innocent. Um, they said that obviously there was a lot of, um, you know, people walk.... like they combed through all the surveillance footage from all the surrounding homes in the neighborhood and they were basically able to rule out every single person that was captured at any time on any of this footage, except [00:12:00] this one person. And they described that this person is actually a suspect. It's not just a person of interest, um, which is interesting. So it makes you think that they do have something else to make them as a suspect, not just the person of interest.

And so the police officer or the police Sergeant, who's doing this press conference, he says that they have like multiple surveillance footage where they. see.. Or this person is kind of in a very specific area near the Sherman home for a long time. And basically from, like I said, he's cryptic. So what I'm basically able to gain or glean from it is that they can kind of see this person, like walking into the view of one camera and then walking into view from another camera, like a long time apart and the, the space between those two points on the camera is the Sherman home. So that's the thing that's not on there. So they have reason to believe that this person was like, like [00:13:00] in the direct vicinity of the Sherman home, whether he wouldn't say whether they were like inside the home or like on the property itself, but very close to the home.

And he, again, he also wouldn't say like the amount of time he wouldn't say if it was like half an hour or an hour or whatever. And every question that the press would ask he would basically just say, like, "we can't tell you that, we can't tell you this". So all they release was the surveillance footage and the still image of a person walking on the sidewalk.

He has like somewhat of a limp or he walks in kind of a unique sort of way so they're hoping that can distinguish. But other than that, there's literally nothing else. It's a person wearing a coat. And I'm pretty sure I've said he all this time. I was, like I said, I don't know if it's male or female, they're wearing a coat and walking on the sidewalk. So it's very little to go on, but the fact that they've listed this person as a suspect and not just a person of interest is interesting. So maybe they're closer to resolving this case. Um, I hope so, anyway, [00:14:00] 

Katie: So it seems like the police know who this person is. If they know who it is. Oh, they don't. Oh, that's why they released the footage. I was like, why would they release it if they knew? So they released this footage that really doesn't help at all. So...

AJ: Yeah, they say they they're like they release this footage because they're trying to encourage this person that... he says in the press conference "If this, if this is you come forward so that you can like clear your name", basically.

Um, but I mean, it's like a random sidewalk four years ago that someone's walking. You reallyreally think they're going to remember? But I mean, maybe you will. I don't know. I feel like maybe... 

Katie: I guess, but like that the time between the two cameras, it makes me think like, well, what were they doing that whole time? Like how long was that a couple hours? Like obviously they, were they standing there? No, they were obviously doing something in that time. So it definitely seems like they were in that house. 

AJ: Yeah. And that's, like I said, they... this police Sergeant, wouldn't say the amount of time in between those two cameras.... [00:15:00] being captured on those two cameras. So literally we have nothing to go on. They know more obviously than they're saying, but obviously it was a significant amount of time, but again, they wouldn't say if they were captured on the property itself or like, but even if you're in front of the property for like a long time, that's still sketchy.

So, I mean, they were in the vicinity directly surrounding the house or by the house for like a significant period of time. So obviously it is sketchy and like a lot of the press that were there were asking up questions, like people said, "oh, well, there's like, you know, that surveillance footage from across the street that was able to capture like the driveway".

And they're like, was this person on any of that footage?" And again, they wouldn't say anything. But this is like the the still frame.. That, or the surveillance piece, it's like 10 seconds long. That's the part that they chose to release, because they said we have other images or video with the same person on it, but they didn't release those ones, just this one piece.

So I don't know. They're keeping everything very close to the vest still. [00:16:00] Yeah. And they, he seemed really defensive in the, in the... cause a lot of them were asking like," it's been four years and you're releasing just, you're just releasing this after four years. Like, that's all you've been doing?" But he basically was saying like, we've combed through every inch of surveillance footage, all the cell phone records, he said that there was 900 lines of investigative actions that they were taking throughout the course of the investigation and the cell phone data was one of those 900 lines. So each said that to give them like a context of how much information there was that they had to comb through. So basically saying, this is why it's been four years in the making, but, um, yeah. 

Katie: Yeah, it doesn't seem like a lot, but I guess it's better than nothing and it's better than what we had when we first did the case. So at least it's slowly... Things are slowly happening, I guess. 

AJ: Yeah. And I mean like, do they really think this person is going to come forward," please, please say, turn [00:17:00] yourself in if this is you!" Like, if it's a person who is actually involved, they're not going to, but maybe they're thinking if it's innocent 

Katie: But I thought you said they were calling them a suspect? So if they've already done that, why would they be like, "oh, you know, just come forward to talk to us!" Yeah, right!

AJ: Well, and yeah. Yeah, I know that's true. But they were also saying, I guess maybe they were. The reason that he was considered a suspect was because he was the only one they couldn't rule out. So they're basically saying, well, like turn yourself in so we can rule you out and then you're not a suspect, but then he goes on to say, "well, they were in a significant, or they were in like, area for a significant amount of time". So it doesn't doesn't sound like someone's going to come and turn themselves in or be jumping at the chance.

Katie: They could have a good explanation though. I mean, and if they did come forward and just tell them, I guess then the police wouldn't have to go down that road anymore, but they could have an explanation for something. So I don't know. 

AJ: Yeah. And they say like, it's like, "we can't, we can't really tell much from this footage, but the person [00:18:00] is between five foot nine and three quarters and five foot 11 and a half..." or something like that. It's like really specific that they were able to like narrow that down. Again, that doesn't narrow anything down, but yeah.

Stephanie: Are they going to go look for this guy? I mean, if he, I mean, he's not gonna turn himself in, but like, if they think he's a suspect are they gonna go looking for him?, 

Katie: Well they don't know 

Stephanie: who he is!, 

AJ: Well,, they don't know who he is. Yeah. And like, obviously they said that they have more footage than they've released. This is only just what they've released. They can't tell any, they obviously don't know if they can't see the face of the person. But if you look at the footage or the picture, it's nothing, it's like a person walking with a heavy coat on with a hat or hood.. With like somewhat of a unique sort of walk, but nothing like distinguishable really, but also do you think this person with a limp is going to be able to kill these two people? Like, it's probably more than one person involved is what I'm thinking. So even if this guy was sort of involved... 

Katie: Yeah, well, maybe he, maybe he was standing outside the house for hours. Like keeping watch. That's all he was doing to just standing there. But we don't know, [00:19:00] obviously. And I think maybe like maybe it could help the neighbors, like, "oh yeah, I saw this guy". Or maybe the neighbors have like surveillance on their house that could fill in the time or something like, you know what I mean? Like the neighbor on the side of their house could see them walking around or something. So maybe it's like, just like, "does anyone else recognize this guy from, you know, maybe their own footage or something"? I dunno. 

AJ: Yeah, that's true. But they also said that like, like they, there were several people that were like captured in images and this was the only one that they weren't able to rule out. So I guess if there was someone else involved, how were those other people not captured? Like if there was other people captured, but this is the only one they haven't ruled out. Like, so the ruled out other people? So then it's like maybe there was just one person involved- this person. But this guy with a limp or this person with a limp is going to like take out these two? I mean, they were older people. I don't know. It just, I guess it's not really a limp. Like maybe that's putting it weirdly, but a unique shuffle or unique sort of walk, I guess.

Katie: Well, I mean, somebody with a limp can still use a [00:20:00] gun. Like you don't have to be like a big strong person... 

AJ: But they were strangled.. 

Katie: Yeah. But you can still point a gun at somebody and tell them to do things. And I guess, and these, there was like an elderly couple. So, I mean, it wouldn't take someone that much stronger and bigger than them to be able to overpower them.

AJ: Yeah, that's true. So, yeah, there's definitely also, we got a, we got a boost in our downloads for that episode when that came out as well. So, um, telltale sign. I'm just kidding. Um, so yeah, that's that, so hopefully more comes of this or maybe this person will turn themselves in, or, but I suspect not if it's somebody who is already been labeled as the suspect, and it's kind of sketchy, I doubt they're gonna, but anyway, we'll put a link to like the news article, the press conference and the surveillance footage in the show notes, you can take a look for yourself.

So that's that one. Um, and then the last [00:21:00] update we have is actually from one of our more recent episodes from this season. 

Katie: So, yeah, the next update is from Season 2 Episode 13, and this was the Botham Jean case. And what happened in this one, it was the off-duty police officer named Amber Guyger who mistakenly went into Botham's apartment thinking it was her apartment because the layout of the apartment buildings were so similar. You know, she just worked a long shift. She was tired, walked in and saw Botham in his own apartment, but she got scared thought it was her apartment and she shot him and he ended up dying. So that's that case. 

AJ: Yeah. So in that case, this actually this update came out before the episode was released, but after we had recorded it. So I think we put a little piece in the show notes about, about this update, but if you didn't read the show notes or you weren't aware of the updates. So basically I know we mentioned in that episode that Amber Guyger was in the process of appealing her conviction. She [00:22:00] wanted a lesser charge, cause she said that it was a mistake and it should have been lowered to like, um, manslaughter or like a lesser charge versus murder.

And. In November of 2021, they basically overturned or they rejected her appeal, upheld her conviction. Um, so her appeal was denied. I believe it was her second appeal. So basically she's still in denial and she's saying that whatever, she's a horrible person so that you can listen to that episode, if you want to know how horrible she was, but she was horrible.

So, um, yeah, she isn't taking accountability and she's trying to get out earlier!, She only has a 10 year sentence, she should be happy with that, but she's trying to get out after like two years or something. Which if she, if she was granted her appeal, she would have been released probably because that charge would have been like up to two years and she's already been in jail for like two years. So she would have probably been released. So thank God that didn't happen. But, um, yeah, that's the update on that one.

Katie: Yeah. I was just going to say she only got 10 years, so I think [00:23:00] not granting her an appeal was the right thing to do for sure, because she's not in there long enough as it is. So getting out even earlier would have been a crime on its own.

AJ: Crime upon crime! Um, yeah. So that's the update for that. So, um, yeah, that's all the updates we have for you. Unfortunately, no updates on Adnan Syed, he's still in prison and he's wrongfully convicted. So #FreeAdnan. I just wanted to throw that in there. Um, so hopefully we have an update for that one coming at some point, so yeah.

So, yeah, thanks for listening to this update. So our next episode that we're going to release in a couple of days is going to be our finale episode. It's going to be a two-parter and we will be discussing the Madeline McCann case. So it's pretty high profile, we're going to talk about the case, and our theories and all of that kind of stuff.

So we hope you'll join us for the two-parter finale, um, dropping on Wednesday. So, yeah, we'll see you then. And thanks for listening. Bye. [00:24:00] 

Stephanie: Have a great day.