Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Hayden Panettiere’s ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko filing urgent court petitions seeking temporary guardianship of their 11‑year‑old daughter Kaya’s inheritance.  He already has sole custody, but he said the suit is an attempt to protect his daughter's inheritance from being lost. He cites missing jewelry, including Hayden's engagement ring, destroyed emails, and other property concerns. 

This as we learn Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden's ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson, performed CPR on the actress when she was found unresponsive.  A 911 dispatcher then guided him through the emergency response steps until first responders arrived to take over.

Hayden Panettiere's death has been ruled an accidental overdose involving fentanyl and several other drugs.   The Greenville County Coroner's office says Hayden Panettiere died from the toxic effect of multiple drugs, fentanyl being number one in her system. Also found, Xanax and Seroquel.   According to this report from the coroner's office, Hayden Panettiere was found face down in a sitting position on the sofa bed, and the description is that she was sitting "crisscross applesauce." 

According to Brian Hickerson, this is something she did often, and would lean forward and fall asleep. When they found her, she had already turned deep purple, Hickerson then administered Narcan twice, when that failed to wake her up he instructed his brother, Zach, to call 911, while Brian Hickerson did chest compressions. The report states that Brian Hickerson saw Hayden for the last time as she was applying makeup in the bathroom around 10:30 in the morning, they had a bowl of cereal, he went back to sleep and was woken up by his brother Zach just before 2pm that afternoon. That's when they found Hayden already purple laying on that sofa bed. Investigators reportedly found on the scene blue pressed pills that were on a table right next to Hayden.

The pills tested positive for fentanyl. A straw was found next to the pills and a white powder substance was found inside a sunglasses case in her suitcase. This is significant because investigators previously had been looking into whether Hayden Panettiere obtained counterfeit oxycodone pills - that were filled with fentanyl which is what led to her death. One of the newest developments is Brian Hickerson told investigators that Hayden Panettiere had a long history of drug abuse with drugs, alcohol, and nitrous oxide. He even added she had recently been in rehab in Malibu and was just out from that. 

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Sandra Birchmore, 23, found dead in her Canton apartment  February 4, 2021.  Initially, the death was ruled a suicide by asphyxia. Sandra was on the floor, hanging from a duffel bag strap wrapped around a doorknob.  Family, friends, and federal prosecutors contested that finding.  The Medical Examiner later changed the cause of death to "asphyxia" and the manner of death to "undetermined." 

Former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell was indicted by federal prosecutors and is currently on trial.  Prosecutors say Farwell groomed Birchmore from the age of  13,  through the Stoughton Police Explorer program. Their sexual relationship began when she was 15. He was 27. Birchmore also had a sexual relationship with Matthew Farwell's twin brother. 

Investigators say Birchmore told Matthew Farwell she was pregnant. That, they say lead to Farwell to strangle Birchmore and stage her death to look like a suicide to silence her.  

Joining Nancy Grace today:

• Josh Kolsrud  - criminal defense attorney, former assistant U.S. Attorney, founder of Kolsrud Law Offices, Author:  The Criminal Lawyer's Guide to Immigration Law, website: kolsrudlawoffices.com, Facebook and YouTube @KolsrudLawOffices 
• Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, featured on the hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo,  Host: "On the Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall", Website: drbethanymarshall.com, Instagram FB & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter:@DrBethanyLive 
• David Sarni  - former NYPD detective,  Adjunct Professor John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Instagram: dsonthemedia, TikTok: DS08296, Facebook: David Sarni, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sarni-ba002910a 
• Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) 
• Vanessa Walsh - Host of the podcast, Unmasked True Crime, Facebook and YouTube: UnmaskedTrueCrime, X: CrimeUnmasked 
• Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

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Nearly fifteen years after Florida mother Michelle Parker vanished following a broadcast taping of The People's Court, Orlando police have arrested her ex-fiancé Dale Smith Jr. on second-degree murder charges. In Virginia, prosecutors in the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt revealed explosive forensic evidence linking a blood-stained power saw to his missing wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt. And in New York, the Bronx community rallies to support an eight-month-old infant who miraculously survived a fifteen-story fall in the arms of her dying mother, Nathaly Ramirez. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Selma Blair, 54,  arrested after an alleged altercation aboard a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York City. She is facing two felony second‑degree assault charges.  

Blair reportedly punched one flight attendant and bit another, causing injuries including a bloody nose and bite marks. One attendant was taken to the hospital.  Blair is also accused of kicking a Port Authority officer repeatedly in the face, neck, and chest while being restrained on a stretcher, and kicking a nurse at the hospital.  

Blair pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.   According to her attorney,  said the incident was the result of a medical emergency, saying Blair had missed doses of Nuedexta, a medication for her multiple sclerosis.    

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Neama Rahmani - former federal prosecutor, trial attorney, President of West Coast Trial Lawyers, Author: “Harvard to Hashtag”, WestCoastTrialLawyers.com, INSTAGRAM: @Neamarahmani, Twitter: @NeamaRahmani  

Dr. Cheryl Arutt - Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist specializing in Trauma Recovery, PTSD and EMDR,  website: askdrcheryl.com,  website: CreativeEMDR.com , IG: @askdrcheryl  
Dr. Raymond Gagliardi  -  General Surgeon specializing in trauma surgery, surgical critical care, and complex gastrointestinal and emergency surgical  
Alexis Tereszcuk  - Crime Stories investigative reporter

Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

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A grandfather in Erie, Pennsylvania, kills eight people, including a pregnant woman and two young children, before turning the gun on himself in an unthinkable domestic massacre. In Chicago, transit workers and prosecutors demand urgent electronic monitoring reform after a repeat offender on curfew violations fatally stabs a veteran CTA janitor during a daytime fare dispute. And in Delaware, two teenagers face criminal charges after terrorizing suburban homeowners with tactical gear and replica rifles in what police call a dangerous late-night prank. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Christa Pike has returned to prison after her discharged from the hospital.  She survived a  botched lethal injection attempt of two doses of pentobarbital during her scheduled execution at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. According to reports, the drug likely spread under her skin due to a faulty IV line rather than entering her bloodstream. After spending days unconscious and on a ventilator, Pike woke up, regained speech, and began walking with assistance

Dispatchers initially delayed sending an ambulance for roughly 30 minutes because they suspected the emergency call from the maximum-security prison was a "prank call".  Audio logs detailed emergency responders waiting outside the prison gates while officials scrambled to verify if the request for medical help was legitimate.   Pike's next court hearing is scheduled for October 23. 

Joining Nancy Grace today: 

• Mike Jaafar -  Trial Attorney.  Founder: www.bigcasemike.com  
• Dr. Bethany Marshall -   Psychoanalyst,  Author: "Deal Breaker, featured on the hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo, Host : "On The Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall," Website: drbethanymarshall.com, Instagram FB & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter:@DrBethanyLive 
• Dr. DeWayne Hendrix - former Senior Warden with the Federal Bureau of Prisons,   Author of "Who Are You? See It, Say It, and Seize It" (IG) @drdewaynehendrix (LinkedIn)  @anewdaylight (X-Twitter)  
• Joseph Scott Morgan  -  Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", YouTube Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", @JoScottForensic
• Tori Gessner  - Anchor/Reporter WKRN, Witnessed Botched Execution of Christa Pike, social: @ToriGessnerTV  
• Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Philadelphia, a municipal water employee faces 76 criminal charges, including murder, after an ambush attack claimed the life of a veteran police officer and left his partner critically wounded. In London, comedian and actor Russell Brand stands trial on multiple counts of rape and sexual assault as opening arguments get underway at Southwark Crown Court. And in upstate New York, a woman fought for her life after a male coworker she was driving home allegedly slashed her throat, forcing her to leap from a moving vehicle. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Combs rushed by ambulance from New Jersey's FCI Fort Dix  to a local hospital over the weekend after suffering a non-life-threatening head injury.  Diddy left the prison for about 6 hours.  He was conscious and speaking during and after the hospital visit. The exact cause of the head injury remains unclear.

The medical emergency follows a turbulent period behind bars, which included being placed in solitary confinement and losing 41 days of good conduct time after an investigation into contraband (cell phones and alcohol). His projected release date was pushed back to March 2028

Joining Nancy Grace today:

• Troy Slaten  - Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney, Slaten Lawyers,Twitter @TroySlaten 
• Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, featured  on the hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock  "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo, Host of "On The Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall," Website: drbethanymarshall.com, Instagram FB & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter:@DrBethanyLive
• Dr. DeWayne Hendrix -  former Senior Warden with the Federal Bureau of Prisons,  serves as a consultant helping correctional agencies improve access to behavioral health services. Author of "Who Are You? See It, Say It, and Seize It" (IG) @drdewaynehendrix (LinkedIn)  @anewdaylight (X-Twitter)   
• Lynn Shaw  -  Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors, Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube, website: lynnswarrior.org  X: @lynns_warriors Youtube: @LynnsWarriors 
• Tisa Tells -  Pop Culture Investigator & Commentator and Host of 'Tisa Tells' on YouTube, Instagram & TikTok: @TisaTellss, Facebook: Tisa.Tells.3 
• Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress Selma Blair is in custody and hospitalized after allegedly leaving a passenger and flight attendant with bite marks and bloody injuries during a violent altercation aboard an October 11th Delta flight to New York. Incarcerated music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has his prison release date delayed following contraband violations, alongside a weekend emergency hospital visit for a head injury. In Boston, witness testimony begins in the federal murder trial of former police officer Matthew Farwell, accused of grooming, sexually exploiting, and strangling pregnant teenager Sandra Birchmore before staging her death as a suicide. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singer D4vd will stand trial for murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains in the death of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez.  David Anthony Burke has pleases not guilty to all charges and remains held without bail.  A status conference is set for October 19, 2026 

Prosecutors allege the murder occurred after Celeste confronted D4vd about his relationship with another woman and threatened to expose it, potentially ruining his career. D4vd’s attorneys argue there is no proof of intent to kill and no history of violence.  

Meantime, Celeste’s family has filed a civil suit against D4vd, his manager, his mother, and his live‑in security guard. 

Joining Nancy Grace today: 

• Eric Faddis -  Founder of The Law Offices of Eric Faddis,  website: EricFaddisLaw.com 
• Caryn Stark -  Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice 
• Steve Fischer -  Missing Persons Private Investigator, Search & Rescue Specialist, Owner of Search Investigations, www.searchinvestigations.org, Twitter: @SF_Investigates Joseph Scott Morgan  - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", YouTube Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", @JoScottForensic 
• Marissa Reyes - Podcast Host, The Light True Crime, socials: Tiktok: @TheLightTrueCrimeYouTube: @TheLightTrueCrime 
• Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.