When 16-year-old Phylicia Simone Barnes is found dead in a river 40 miles from where she was staying, her family suspects one man is responsible. But bringing him to justice is far more difficult than anyone could have expected. You can visit bellyscrub.com to stay up to date with everything pertaining to the release of John Butler’s upcoming podcast series, A Confidence in the Round. Did you know you can listen to this episode ad-free? Join the Fan Club! Visit https://crimejunkieapp.com/library/ to view the current membership options and policies.Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/murdered-phylicia-simone-barnes-part-2/
An investigation into the death of 16-year-old Felicia Scroggins revealed a link to child sexual abuse material and sexual exploitation of a minor, leading the FBI to conduct a widespread investigation into her friends and family members' Facebook and email accounts.
The Harford County State's attorney brings the case of child sexual abuse material to a grand jury and the police get a wiretap on the suspect's phone to catch him in the act.
Michael Avenatti faces a one-charge indictment in his trial, which is unusual, and the trial is predicted to be anything but straightforward, beginning with Avenatti's arrest.
A detective who went rogue to find his missing teenage daughter is facing allegations that he used the wedge to break into someone's home and assaulted them. It is unclear whether the evidence against him is strong enough to convict him of these crimes.
Michael, who was the last person to see Felicia before she disappeared, did not help in the later search efforts and was constantly called out as a suspect, with his phone location also being investigated.
The defense points out that there is no hard evidence that a specific 35-gallon plastic bin was used in the crime. Michael was seen on surveillance footage buying a 22-gallon bin from Walmart on the day of the crime, but this bin is not the one that Dina saw in his car.
After deliberations, the jury found him not guilty of first degree murder but guilty of second degree murder in the case of Felicia Scott's death. John Butler, the law clerk who worked on the case confirmed that a blue storage container lid was found near the crime scene.
Michael’s defense attorneys move for a mistrial and then for an acquittal in light of the state’s flimsy case, granted notably by the absence of a certain witness, and the inconsistencies of previous testimonies.
The failure of the police department to properly investigate the disappearance of Hae Min Lee highlights the need for measures in place to ensure proper protocol for missing person cases.
Crime Junkie gives a list of fan shout outs to celebrate its five-year anniversary, thanking and sending love to listeners from different parts of the world.