71: Charlotte Sena, Tupac Shakur, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 8 Passengers Husband’s Threats, Boy In The Box Trial
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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Hey everybody, welcome back to this week's episode of Headline Highlights over here on Serialistly. It's me, Annie, your true crime bestie, and we are going through everything that has been going down in the true crime world this week. We've got new cases, we've got updates in old cases, I mean, we've really got a little bit of it all. So, let's get started.

So in today's episode, we're going to discuss not only the latest thing and everything going on in the true crime world, but some updates and some of the really key cases that we've been covering and doing some deep dives on. And then, of course, as I mentioned, we've got some new cases that made headlines this week that a lot of you have been asking for. So we'll be discussing Charlotte Cena, Sherry Frankie, Tupac,

Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and even Timothy Ferreter, who's also known as the boy in the box trial. I did a deep dive on this case over on 10 to Life when it first broke. Like, I

Charlotte Cena

So many of you guys reached out asking me to cover it, but luckily, in a very rare turn of events that we don't often see in the true crime world, by the time I was ready and had gathered all the information to cover it, she had luckily been found. Found alive. So thank goodness for that.

But around 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, September 30th, Charlotte was seen riding her bike in the Morrow Lake State Park area. Later on, when her parents went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found. Her bike was found abandoned in the park about half an hour later, and this initiated a massive search involving multiple agencies, including the FBI.

They also delved into cell phone data to see who was near the park when Charlotte disappeared, but they weren't having any luck initially, which made this case kind of flip on its head and made everybody, of course, panic. Then finally, a significant lead came in. Early Monday, as Charlotte's parents were out searching, a man drove by their home at approximately 4.20 a.m.,

and this man dropped off a ransom note in their mailbox.

Q, like John Bonnet, it's something very similar. It was given all those vibes. And this note provided the essential clue they needed, fingerprints. The fingerprints were run through law enforcement databases, and the police finally had a match. It was a 46-year-old man named Craig Ross. His fingerprints were on file from a DWI that he had back in 1999.

Homes that are linked to Craig and his family were immediately searched upon this information, but Charlotte wasn't in any of them. Finally, the focus shifted to a camper that was located behind his mother's home in Ballston Spa, New York. By that evening, SWAT teams arrived via helicopters, and they arrested Craig. Charlotte was found hidden inside a cabinet and was soon reunited with her parents at the hospital.

The location where Charlotte was found was owned by Craig's mother and is roughly a half-hour drive from the park where Charlotte was abducted. Thankfully, she was found in good health when she returned to her parents, but there aren't many details known other than that, for obvious reasons, I'm sure, because she's a minor.

However, investigators said that when they found Charlotte, she wasn't wearing her clothing and that she was actually wearing an adult-sized sweatshirt. Charlotte hasn't been interviewed yet since she was taken for a medical check after the rescue. Once ready, she will speak with forensic experts that are trained in handling young individuals from situations like these.

Following his arrest, Craig was detained in Saratoga County without bail and is set to appear in court this Friday. Investigators in New York expect to lay even more charges against him. As of Tuesday this week, Craig hadn't been interviewed either since he asked for a lawyer post his arrest.

And like I said, we don't often hear stories like this that have a version of a happy ending. However, the investigation is ongoing. Officials are now looking for videos that could shed more light on the hours after Charlotte's last sighting in the lake area, especially any footage showing routes from the park to where Craig was found with Charlotte.

And I just pray that nothing else happened to her during captivity and that she wasn't sexually abused during this time. But I mean, the fact that she wasn't seen wearing her clothing and instead an adult t-shirt, I mean, your mind of course wanders there. But let's hold out hope that this little girl wasn't any more emotionally or physically damaged than the abduction itself would have caused.

going over into Tupac which is like this is my generation I'm dating myself here but this is like I remember this day to a tee there have been some major updates and news regarding Tupac lately but before we get into that I do think that it would be helpful to set the scene a little bit about what exactly was said to have happened at the time because if you are younger or if you didn't live through it you may not know you may not be familiar

So in November 1994, two years before his death, Tupac was shot several times during a robbery at a New York hotel, losing about $40,000. He later made claims that the rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Sean Diddy Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, that they knew about the shooting beforehand, which is something that they have denied. However, this ignited a massive feud within the hip-hop community.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extrahelp.

paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hardy Fiber Cement Siding handles conditions that can cause damage to vinyl. From fire to hail, Hardy Siding stands tall through it all, helping trade professionals look their best when they recommend Hardy Siding and Trim. See the proof at jameshardy.com. Jumping to September 1996, after a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Tupac was in a vehicle with Death Row Records founder Marion Shug Knight.

A confrontation occurred at the hotel involving Tupac, Suge, Dwayne, Cafe D Davis, and Orlando Baby Lane Anderson. Surveillance video showed Tupac and Suge Knight kicking and punching Orlando, also known as Baby Lane, over and over. Baby Lane and Dwayne, also known as Cafe D, were members of the gang The Crips, which are obviously rivals to the Bloods, which Suge Knight affiliated with.

After this fight at the hotel, while Tupac and Suge were driving, a white Cadillac approached and shots were fired into their car. Tupac was hit multiple times, leading to significant injuries. It's believed by the police that this attack was in retaliation for the earlier hotel fight. Six days after the shooting, at only 25 years old, Tupac passed away.

In multiple interviews and documentaries, Dwayne Keefe D. Davis placed himself at the deadly crime scene but never admitted to who pulled the trigger. His previous admissions back in 2009, which were made under a proffered agreement, couldn't be used against him in court, which kept him safe from charges. A proffered agreement is an arrangement where an individual provides helpful details for an investigation without the statements being used against them in court.

Duane not only bragged about his actions, but he also engaged with multiple media platforms and even took part in a 2018 Netflix documentary about Tupac's death while writing his own memoir. Then, just this year, a couple months ago in July, as part of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department's ongoing investigation into the shooting, Duane's home was searched and items related to the murder were seized.

No word yet on what exactly those items were, though. And now, just last week, investigators arrested Dwayne after a grand jury indicted him on charges of murder with the use of a deadly weapon in connection with the murder of Tupac. He was in court on Wednesday, October 4th, and his scheduled arraignment was postponed to October 19th.

During his court appearance, he requested a two-week delay for his defense attorney. Police believe his nephew was the shooter, but that Dwayne was in the car when his nephew shot Tupac. And now, 27 years later, he is the only living suspect linked to Tupac's murder.

But even more interesting is the article that I found from TMZ, which said that Suge Knight is surprised that there's finally an arrest in the murder of Tupac. And even though he was an eyewitness in the case, he says he will refuse if called to testify against the suspect, Dwayne Keefe D. Davis.

TMZ spoke exclusively with Suge Knight, the Death Row Records founder, this last Monday, and he insists that cops and prosecutors are barking up the wrong tree with their arrest of Dwayne. Even further, he refutes the long-held belief that Dwayne's late nephew Orlando Anderson was the shooter.

Of course, Suge was in the BMW that 1996 night in Las Vegas when both he and Tupac were shot. During the phone call from a California state prison, he told TMZ that regardless of what Dwayne has confessed to in his interviews or to police, Suge himself won't ever say a bad word about the man. He also said that prosecutors can forget about getting him on the stand during Dwayne's murder trial, and in a nutshell, he is not ratting anyone out.

So, I don't know. There's also a clip from a documentary that Dwayne participated in, and when asked if Big Dre, who is another person who was with them that night, shot Tupac and shot him instead of Orlando Anderson, Dwayne gets mad and refuses to answer the question out of fear of returning to jail. Take a listen. How do you feel about the people that feel like Big Dre, he shot Tupac?

Because you did make a confession some years ago, man, and you said that you gave the gun to Big Dre, but he got cold feet. So Orlando, he ended up snatching the gun and shooting Tupac. No, no. Was Big Dre like that? Was he capable of doing that? Was he a shooter? Them dudes was kids, man. Both of them dudes was kids back then. They was kids, dude. Them dudes was kids. Dre was an all-CIO basketball player, dude. You know what I'm saying? Big Dre was an all-CIO basketball player.

You know what I'm saying? Nice shot, all that shit. Dunking and all that shit. Them dudes was kids. Dre was an athlete. Them dudes was athletes, dude. You know? They weren't about that. You know? Yeah. Back then, Dre was a... Yeah. So he imported Trigger. Man, we already discussed that. We already discussed that. What, you trying to get me in jail again?

Now I want to talk a little bit about Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who has most recently and most well known probably been known for the Munchausen by proxy case where she killed her mother after her mother had kept her sick for years and years and years.

So Gypsy Rose Blanchard is back in the headlines once again, but this time she has been granted parole and she is set to be released from prison on December 28, 2023. As a reminder, she was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for her involvement in her mother's murder. By the time of her release, Gypsy will have completed 85% of her sentence.

Gypsy, who is now 32 years old, had been convicted for her role in the tragic death of her mother, Claudine Dee Dee Blanchard, back in July of 2016.

Deedee was discovered dead a year earlier, in June 2015. In the aftermath of her death, Gypsy and her then-boyfriend Nick Godejohn were charged with first-degree murder. This case is absolutely insane, guys, and it revealed a deeply disturbed web of lies that Gypsy's mother Deedee had created for herself.

DeeDee had been manipulating her daughter's health and wellness, which is a major understatement in my opinion, and I think it's more than manipulation. It was actually straight up lying. But anyways, she had convinced friends, family, and essentially their entire community that Gypsy was a terminally ill teenager, that she was mentally equivalent to a seven-year-old. She was also falsely diagnosed with multiple severe illnesses like muscular dystrophy and leukemia.

Gypsy recalled her mother warning her against speaking during medical consultations and also threatening her if she ever tried to flee. She also convinced her that even if she went to the police, they wouldn't believe her. In a documentary from 2018, Gypsy said, and I quote, "...I couldn't just jump out of the wheelchair. I was afraid of what my mother would do. I didn't know who to trust."

Her then-boyfriend Nick played a significant role in the murdering of her mother. In 2019, he was handed a life sentence without parole. Their story and their love story and backstory is that he had met Gypsy online and traveled from Wisconsin to Missouri to be with her.

Gypsy admitted that she had persuaded him to commit the crime. During a prison interview for the 2019 special Gypsy Rose and Nick, A Love to Kill, Nick said that his time with Gypsy was magical and the best days of his life.

Interestingly, following her sentence in 2016, she spoke to Dr. Phil, which we all know Dr. Phil loves to speak to these people. Whether you like him or not, he always does speak to them. So she spoke with him about her prison sentence, and she said, and I quote, While I accept that murder isn't justified and I should serve time, I don't think I deserve this lengthy sentence. I need help, and this isn't the place to get it.

It's not really a shock that Gypsy and Nick's relationship has now ended, and People Magazine reported that in April of 2019, reports surfaced that Gypsy had gotten engaged to a man that she met while she was incarcerated who was her pen pal.

So there's been a lot of contention about this case given the situation. Some people think that even though Gypsy was dealing with this psychotic mother for her mother's own sick pleasure and financial benefits, coming up with a plot to convince her boyfriend to murder her mom isn't a conclusion that most people would come to, and that only a cold-blooded killer would even think to do something like that.

On the other hand, a lot of people feel like it's a little more complicated than that, and that maybe she did see this as her only way of survival, given all of the intense trauma that she went through for most of her life, and people believe that she deserves to be released. Where do you sit on that argument? What do you believe?

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. An official message from Medicare.

A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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This goes in line with the eight passengers case which we have been covering extensively and as a matter of fact I uploaded a deep dive video and episode on the podcast earlier this week the video versions over on YouTube where we did like a full deep dive into Jodi Hildebrandt into connections the cult the whole thing and it's actually pretty alarming because in some super

scraped audio recordings we were able to find there's one of Ruby Frankie from November of 2022 where she literally describes the wounds on her children that was then found now a year later so take a listen if you haven't yet

But we know that Ruby Frankie's home became a center of attention when police had served a warrant, leading to the front door being broken down, and this was recently. Ruby's husband, Kevin Frankie, despite not having been to the house in over a year, was apparently extremely pissed off when he learned that his daughter Sherry had entered this home and taken some of their property.

So here's what happened. The day after the warrant was executed and the search began, Springfield police were called back to Ruby's home. When they arrived, they found Sherry, their oldest daughter, who was there to collect clothing and personal items for her two younger sisters. There was also a caseworker from DCFS. They were gathering belongings for the two children who had just been discovered the day before at Jodi Hildebrandt's home.

Caseworkers and police were there because they believed that Kevin might be in the house and may not have been cooperative. However, by the time that the police got to the scene, both the caseworker and several family members, including Sherry, had already entered the home. The police instructed them to only pick items that belonged to them or that were necessary for the children.

Then, the next day on September 1st, Kevin reported a burglary, claiming certain electronic items, specifically his electronic journals, were missing. He was convinced that Sherry, his daughter, was behind this, basing his accusation on something that she said in court.

According to new to KUTV, when speaking to the police, it was clarified to Kevin that the front door had been broken by the police themselves due to the warrant, not by Sherry. Kevin was adamant about pressing charges against Sherry for burglary, believing that she had no right to enter the home. He further emphasized that he didn't want any of the children in the house.

The police tried to reason with him, explaining that the kids needed their essential belongings. Kevin's belongings, which Sherry had taken, were subsequently returned to him, including tablets, cell phones, cameras, journals, and passports.

An officer later said that he'd explained to Kevin that Sherry wouldn't be charged due to the nature of the situation. They believed Sherry didn't intend to permanently deprive Kevin of his possessions. She had been allowed in the house before, and with Kevin being absent for 13 months, it complicated the situation a bit.

However, this apparently did not sit well with Kevin, who then threatened to sue the police department, saying they'd be hearing from his lawyer soon. Like, I get the legalities of all of it, but like, he's really going on a Karen rampage right now. It's your own daughter. She was taking things that she believed would help her siblings. What do you have to hide, Kevin? What do you have to hide?

His lawyer, Randy Kester, has since said that Kevin and Sherry are focused on moving past this and hoping to rebuild a loving and healthy father and daughter relationship, and that Kevin is still grappling with the overwhelming situation that he has found himself in.

Yeah, I'll say, sorry to go on a rant here, but it's my opinion that, Kevin, you're equally responsible for what happened to your children. You were absent for months and months and months, yet you did full well know and you were aware of the type of punishment and parenting tactics Ruby was instilling on the children, to a degree, because you were a part of the strict

punishments before you fled before you left before you went absent so now that your daughter is trying to help your her other siblings because she has seen the light way before you did now you're like playing victim here I don't know I don't like it you're the adult you're equally responsible in my opinion sorry if you don't agree but that's my opinion

Now let's round it out with horrible fathers here for just a second and talk about Tim Ferriter. The boy in the box trial, which has been dubbed by the media, is the trial of Timothy Ferriter from Jupiter, Florida. He's accused of serious child abuse and false imprisonment charges, among other things, and this trial started this week.

On Wednesday, the victim, the now 16-year-old adopted son of the Faraday's, took the stand. Now, I'm still catching up on a lot of the trial, and it seems to be moving a lot quicker than I anticipated. I watched the prosecution and the defense's opening arguments, and Timothy's defense strategy is trying to explain away his actions by saying that they only did the things they did, which was keeping their 14-year-old adopted son in a man-made prison in their house,

and kept him from being able to escape while also depriving him of basic needs, such as a sanitary place to use the restroom, he says that he and his wife only did this because his behavior was so alarming, unpredictable, and out of control, and that this was a way that they could try to keep him safe as well as their other children safe while living in the house.

Which, I'm conflicted on this, and I have to say, it's a pretty bold move trying to blame the victim, who is a child victim in this case. But from the get-go, they had been trying to say that this child that they had adopted had defiant disorder. I think the abbreviation exactly is RAD, R-A-D. And again, I did a deep dive on this case. I'll link it in the show notes so you can get fully caught up.

But in my opinion, and you know, heaven forbid I ever find myself in that kind of situation. And fortunately, I have not had to find myself in that situation at this point. But if I had a child who was that defiant, I don't believe that the answer would be locking them in a room, not allowing them a toilet.

trapping them, disregarding their basic needs. But that is the argument that the Ferreters have had from day one. So get caught up on that and let me know what you think. But on Wednesday when I was listening to a little bit of the trial in the background, the boy whose name has been kept out of the public because he's a minor, although through the course of the trial his name has been said, but he took the stand. And I have to tell you, I was not expecting to hear this.

Can we say that question again? Sure. Do you think it's hard to think of good memories when everyone around you has a bad image of Tim and Tracy in their mind? I can easily recall the good times, but I don't have a bad image of Tim and Tracy. They just made a mistake. They were just acting out of...

frantic surprise of my actions. I believe that they weren't trying to do any harm. I believe that people should recognize that that was a mistake and forgive them and move on from it.

I'm not going to lie. I was a little speechless when I heard that. And I'm curious what you guys think. Do you think that he is feeling guilty that now these two people who had adopted him are facing such horrible charges? Or do you think that he feels...

feels bad and has since realized his behavior truly was bad and again there's no excuse for what they did in my opinion but I really was not surprised to hear that when he took the stand especially with how adamant he had told police in the beginning he was scared to go back to them so listen to that first video and then come back and let me know what you think about all of this because it's so so unsettling and what makes it makes me wonder too is

All of these parents who do trap their children in rooms, lock them in rooms, chain them to beds, have these house of horrors. Is this case now going to set the precedent for their future trials or their future arrests? Saying, oh no, we only did that because they were defiant. We only did that for the safety of themselves. I really hope that this does not set a new precedent. But you tell me what you think.

Alright guys, that's all I've got for you this week on Headline Highlights. I hope you found it helpful. As always, let me know in the review section of this podcast if you found it helpful, if you like this segment, so that I know if we should continue it or not. Other than that, I will be with you bright and early on my YouTube channel tomorrow morning. It is called 10 to Life, and I am going to be doing a deep, deep, deep dive of Scientology.

So if you want to talk about Scientology and the alleged cult makings of that, head over to YouTube first thing tomorrow morning because that is what we will be talking about. All right. Thanks again for tuning in today, guys. And I will be talking with you again very soon. And I will see you bright and early Monday morning for another jaw-dropping deep dive into a true crime case. All right. Take care. Have a good weekend. And I will be talking with you soon. Bye.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

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Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.