Ep 55: Husband vs. Wife - What Really Happened to Laura Ackerson?

In July 2007, a man in a trench coat walked into the crowded New York New York Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and opened fire.    At his trial, his defense would argue that his intent had not been to kill, but to be killed. What would the jury think?   Sponsors in this episode: Up And Vanished - In a one-night special TV event, Oxygen brings to life Payne Lindsey's hit true crime podcast "Up and Vanished." Check it out on Oxygen On Demand Madison Reed - Madison Reed is reinventing the way women color their hair - they offer the quality of salon color, the convenience and affordability of at-home hair color, and combine that with an ammonia-free formula with ingredients you can feel good about. Get 10% off plus Free Shipping on their first color kit. Go to Madison-Reed.com and use code JUNKIE.  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Nov 20181h 5min

In December 2013, 20-year-old Heather Elvis mysteriously vanished in the middle of the night and hasn't been seen or heard from since. I covered Heather's disappearance and the first trial of one of the suspects in Episode 45. This episode covers the trial of the second suspect.    Law enforcement and prosecutors are convinced they know what happened to Heather - but would a jury believe their theory?   Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Nov 20181h 28min

On February 18, 2002, 23-year-old Marine Sergeant Todd Sommer collapsed at the home he shared with his wife, Cynthia. An autopsy concluded that Todd had died from a heart attack, but years later, Cynthia was arrested and charged with murder.    A special thank you to Allen Bloom, one of Cynthia's attorneys, for speaking with me about the case.    Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Okt 201853min

On October 28, 2009, there was a fatal encounter between 57-year-old Mark Stover and 42-year-old Michiel Oakes. Prosecutors say Michiel committed premeditated murder, but Michiel says it was something else. Who will the jury believe? Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

15 Okt 20181h 41min

On August 20, 2008, a tragedy occurred at the football practice at Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville, Kentucky. A 15-year-old boy lost his life and a 37-year-old coach would soon face charges in his death.    Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1 Okt 20181h 23min

In this Court Junkie Brief, I interview Stanford Law Professor Michele Dauber, who led the recall campaign against Judge Aaron Persky, the judge who presided over the Brock Turner case from Episode 58.  We discuss why she decided to start the campaign, Judge Persky's sentencing history, and death threats she received as a result of her efforts.  You can follow Professor Dauber on Twitter @mldauber, and also follow their ongoing efforts to put violence against women on the ballots on Twitter @EnoughVoter. Their website should be up shortly, so be on the lookout for that at enoughisenoughvoter.org.  Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Sep 201828min

In January 2015, a call of an unconscious female came into the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office in Palo Alto, California. Deputies responded to a fraternity house on the Stanford campus and found an unresponsive woman who had been sexually assaulted, lying on the ground outside, behind a dumpster. The suspect was a freshman at Stanford, and the trial and sentencing that followed would make national news.   I spoke with Professor Michele Dauber, a law professor at Stanford, for this episode. You can follow Professor Dauber on Twitter @mldauber.   For more information on what's next for Professor Dauber's campaign, please visit enoughisenoughvoter.org or follow them on Twitter @enoughvoter. Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Sep 20181h

In 1998, a newborn baby was stolen from the University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. The mystery would go unsolved for 18 years, until a teenager in South Carolina made a shocking discovery.   Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Sep 20181h 5min