Hey, prime members, you can listen to the forty eight hours podcast ad free on amazon, music down. the arab today, if you're like me, your hooked on fast pace crime. earlier. That's why I'm so excited to listen to the gift by internet. best selling author Sebastian fit zec available simply on audible. Milan burg is a master manipulator with a photographic memory and a shameful secret. He never learn to read so when a car stops in front of him and traffic Milan can't decipher the sign. The terrified girl in the back seat holds up, but he knows instinctive she's in mortal danger determined to save her. Milan is drawn down a nightmarish trail of clues that all point in one disturbing direction: directly and tom alarms own past dogmas. On this edge of your seat, psychological thriller visit, audible, dot, com, slash the gift to listen. Now

the She was afraid for her life. I mean I was constantly afraid for her life since her every morning to see if she was still alive. On the night of the shooting, my forming, and it was little after two in the morning and its nicky. She sounded so mickey ottoman better than anybody else in this world knew how dangerous he was that moment. What did she had been asked? I'm sort of throughout the night. No,

it's let us leave just. Let me leave with the kids not going anywhere people to gun out of the couch and said he would kill her and when she did that the and fell to the floor. I picked it up to make it an attempt to evade the police and then hide the fact that she shot him. I found out mickey is the most gentle loving. friend we ve ever had everything She does doesn't for her kids in and say

it so easy to connect the dots. There are so many instances where I would this a bruise she attributed to playing with the kids in some kind of accident. We had medical documents demonstrating physical injuries. There were many people who saw her with black eye with bruisers injuries on her face around on her neck bite marks on her back on march. Well, if that's true, as a prosecutor to apple, patient to investigate it. Anyone who knew Chris was there is supported. he was my gymnastics coach. He always feel safe. My son never hurt anybody. He lived for Nicky he for those kids gentle soul, who was full of life and

turkey is a very good actors. They think of you. The abrupt We know that it's popular saying that a woman whose claiming domestic violence is lying it's not pop or to say she was self inflicted injuries. You believe the people who were support in making Armando were manipulated by. I don't believe christopher abused. Her she intentionally planned and murdered him when he was sleeping. the and the

at two way On september, twenty eight, two thousand seventeen police officer, richards, is silly encountered. A car stopped at a red light, the light turned green and when the car didn't move, officers who silly says he too didn't airborne too

the drivers attention what happened next, stunned him An agitated young mother, name, Nicole, lotta, mondo and stocking feed, told him something had gone terribly wrong at home. That man. You see said she. and abused had tried to leave and her boyfriend had a gun. I picked it up, Resources officer? Silly, I think, is in shock that this is unfolding before him. Putnam county, cheap, assisted district attorney, hano kraus woods and be investigating Nicky story. He doesn't know if there is an end

Well, that's necessary dearer to children in the car, making had called a friend seeing here on the police dash. Can video the friend Elisabeth Clifton pulls up and officers asked her wait in a nearby parking lot. I watched police see vehicles going at some point. I saw that that the embryo went back the other way and it didn't have its lights on. So I was afraid as afraid of what had happened the officers went to Nicky's apartment and found her partner chris grover, who appeared to be sleeping on the couch said with a single gun shot to the head. They found the shower running and are broken laptop and the bathtub they brought Nicky too police station, where she was interrogated by detectives and Elizabeth learned. Frisk was dead.

I never in a million years had a fear that he would die. I was afraid she would die every day, not long afterwards. El grover got a heartbreaking visit from the sheriff. He told us that Chris had passed and my first question was our nicky in the kids. Ok, that right there tells you we had no clue, no clue says ill that anything was amiss in her sons, life. She describes Chris as kind and ass. He had a black belt and type one dough and was head gymnastics coach at mister toddy What do you see that wayland coached within their use is always so happy full of energy. I mean he was like a rat. Get running around the Jim. He was a huge kid at heart, huge again and that's where the two thousand aid he met. A pretty young coach

nicole, not mondo. He was twenty one. She was nineteen soon they began dating in two thousand twelve, they moved in together and announced. Nicky was expecting their first child sunbeams, was the excited about being absolutely ecstatic, He was a proud papa. Chris, talented amateur videographer made this video for which he called coming mom too years later daughter, Faye, came along those lines. for everything to him and to go to gales as Nicky was an excellent mom. Elizabeth cliff, and taught a mommy and me music class Nicky attended with Ben one time she came to class with what looked to me like a black eye. She covered herself

completely and even in the summer, she'd be wearing long. Sleeved lying pants have a scarf covering around her neck Nicky's childhood friends, law, mogadishu and re hawks, also noticed injuries, but didn't press her eye notice a bruise. You know she would often say you know I was playing with Ben and, like hit by his guitar. You know it was always something that to me at the time seemed very whose power laws of I didn't think twice about it Then one day a man from the gym workforce coast about Nicky's injuries, she'd seen chris lose his temper in the past young gymnast in his class concerned she made an anonymous report to child protective services or cps. required by law. Cps visit

nikki increases apartment. Before long chris was dead and He was trying to explain why me and then he looked out for a. I think she thought she got them to believe that she had acted out in self defence as opposed to intentionally Chris grover, thick, obviously country. I think she thought she was going home that night what nikki did not go home that night. Instead, she was charged with second degree. Murder increases death. What did you when they charge nicky with murder. I was heart, broken the. Hi, I'm lindsey, graham the host of wander his podcast american scandal. We bring to life

the biggest controversies in. U S, history press and shall lies environs disasters, corporate fraud. In our new a serious, we look at the kids for cash scandal a story about corruption inside america's system of juvenile justice in northeastern pennsylvania roy. The had begun, noticing and alarming trend children were being sent. waiter jail in high numbers and often for committing only minor offences. The f b I began looking to local judges and when the full picture emerged, it made national lines, the judges were earning a fortune carrying out a brazen criminal scheme, one that would after the lives of countless children and force a heated debate about punishment and America's I'm an old justice system following can scandal. Wherever you get your upon guests, you can listen ad free the amazon, music or wondering app.

A few weeks after Chris grover's death, friends, family and former students like Mikhail Hughes. He always head. Let's go kid gathered to release balloons and his honor in it really nice to know that, like I was alone supporters of Nicky out, mondo were reeling too. Her arrest for chris is murder, prompted an outcry from friends. Family and advocate for victims of domestic violence. For choosing to defend herself and survive. Nicky may spend the next twenty. To life imprisonment. Elisabeth Clifton began, organizing rallies and fun razors

I and also living the years of terror. She says she went through with Nicky, beginning in April two thousand sixteen when she decided to confront Nicky about her injuries, and I sat that I'm really scared for you and I am that you're not safe at home Elizabeth Nicky reluctantly admitted her partner. Chris was abusing her. It wasn't like flood gates, I would say a site call of acknowledging that yes, this was happening nick, He stood out to me because of the level of fines. and that was involved rachel. Louise Neither is a journalist who spent ten years studying domestic violence for book called no visible bruises

as part of her research on Nicky's case for new yorker article. She read the full court record, an interview, dozens of people. She says Nicky alleged chris forced himself on her sexually but didn't become violent until after sunburn was born. and he slammed her head into your frame of bans, room and then raped her. It happened again said Nicky almost two years later, when she was pregnant with Fang. She sought medical it in here at Vassar brothers hospital in poughkeepsie. and a couple of days later, she was standing The kitchen making eggs for ban and Chris allegedly came in and said you better be making For me- and she said yes, sir, pretty

sarcastically. He forced her to the ground and took a spoon and held it into the gas flame and spurned her all over her body. With it again, Nicky sought medical attention. The report from the exam states assailant chris heated up a metal utensil on the gas stove and burn nicky in multiple areas of her body. He was, as far as I understand tying her up. You know I remember seeing the marks around her neck and rests and what he was doing was raping her making feared. Chris was videotaping. The encounters Elizabeth says she and Nicky's therapists push nicky to press charges. Multiple people, in fact trying to get her

to file police reports and she was just petrified. She said that Chris would tell her that nobody would believe her. She doesn't want to kids taken away from her. She knew she was in danger. Elizabeth tried to help nikki leave and in the summer of two thousand, sixteen Nicky did pack the kids in the car, and drive over to Elizabeth house one of the hardest things- I've ever experiences that she would come and she drive and she'd slow down and then and then go again. she saw? Nicky DR passed her house over and over again for our and she was on the phone. Saint conscious command is come in the front door and Nicky just couldn't do it and that's what a domestic violence victim leaving looks like it looks like

series of false starts in this mindset. Her terror of him is stronger than her belief that the system will save her in two thousand seventeen just months before Chris died, Nicky's medical help three times from a midwife, who noted multiple injuries and may rope like birds, states. Chris has a gun and uses it My body in June vulva, swollen looks inside out in august, bruised and bleeding chris at gunpoint raped her. Then in september, came that anonymous call to child protective services. He called making Chris and said what come by an interview tomorrow. Suddenly

outside eyes. On them, Nicky said chris left the house that day with a bag full of evidence of abuse, presumably to get rid of it. The next day cps conducted its home visit afterwards Chris went to work and came home that night in a quiet mood at one point, Nicky said he called. ran to the bed room where he was loading his gun and he wants her to try to load it and it gives her a bullet and apparently she's shaking according to Nicky she later took a shower and at some point chris, through the laptop in the tub she said He forced her to have sex with him on the couch, but was Usually gentle and if you are domestic violence victim and so who is usually very vital, with you, was suddenly gentle yoga,

get that message you're going to understand immediately that that is a good buy. Nicky said she lay for a while on top of chris and believed he was asleep when she tried to get up. He pulled the gun from behind the couch cushions nikki said she got the gun away and pointed it at here she said he laughed at her and then he said here what's gonna happen, you're going to give me the gun and I'm gonna kill you am I tell myself and the kids have no one, and she that she just lunged and shot shot him in the head Nicky supporters say for choice. That night was simple: either kill or be killed.

in march of money. Nineteen nicky on a mondo out on bail at the time when, on trial, for the murder of her partner. Chris grover ends and advocates wearing purple the color for victims of domestic violence lined up and support. They stood side by side with loyal chris supporters heartbroken to learn. Nicky defence would hinge on allegations that huh abuse her. What are you people to now Chris didn't do this son. Never hurt anybody. That's the bottom line

video cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom here at the duchess county court house than forgive see. Prosecutors argued that Nicky painted herself as a victim, but that allegations of abuse, we're untrue. She was not there In this case, Chris was the victim in this case, and that became very, very apparent prosecutor, Hano kraus. I spent much of her career advocating for victims of sexual violence. Kraus too yours, the physical evidence, was overwhelming, starting with the fact that Chris was killed with a direct contact wound to the head

the medical examiner testified that the muzzle of the gun that was imprinted increases head meant. It was embedded in his head when she pulled the trigger crowd, said Nicky, not chris, through the laptop in the tub, in an attempt to make it look like first had evidence to hide she and expect the laptop to be rich third, in a way that we could still examine it and determine that there was absolutely no evidence of abuse on that laptop and crowds presented a series of tax nicky sent chris just days before he died, calling him in man, child and asking w e f is wrong with you. Are you this stupid? She was one who was abusing him in these messages when they communicated throughout the day? then there were internet searches on christmas phone. The night he died, kraus believes making made them. If you

shoot someone in their sleep while the police know fifteen minutes of searches. that are a road map to exactly how he was murdered. Even more damning, was attacks. Nicky sent a friend six weeks earlier haven't figured out a way to kill him without being caught. So I'm still here, Nicky punctuated the text with a grimace mogi, which her lawyers say clearly shows she joking, yet, several weeks later, he was dead so that quite a coincidence, kraus acknowledges Nicky. a traumatic experience when she was just Five years old Nicky was raved on us both were at of friends house. The rape was witness by another child nicky. Tell any one at the time, but her friends say it have lasting impact, so if we want to have sleep first is that we would always go and sleep at her home. She never ever slept,

at one of our houses is nikki, said the salt made her uncomfortable with sex as an adult which she confided to Chris began dating? about a year. They did become intimate because he cared so much about her, and that was who he was. He never changed. Chris didn't change, says kraus, nicky grew into someone who invented stories of abuse. She never reported these allegations to police, but this story spilled out over the years to friends and therapists, prows told the jurors these accusations began before making met Chris when she accused and ex boyfriend. I have assaulting her. What are they going to think if she alleges every relationship she ever had was non consensual? Would they believe what she said about Chris a few years after she began dating Chris? Nearly a decade ago, Nikki told her therapist that Agnes worker, at her mothers apartment, complex, raped her, making

It said her memories of the time were unclear and she was sure which abuse was by the maintenance worker or Chris. How do you not remember which abuse was by the maintenance worker and which abuse is by your partner around the same time he met a married police officer who invited her to become live in baby sitter with his family. He was the parent a child who was coached by the defendant and at one point chris grover, as well crosses They began a relationship that lasted several years, including after Nicky lived with chris and was pregnant with Ben nick. said than marry police officer, also forced himself on her sexually. There were so many other men so which one where she talking about Nicky support. What are his? These aren't false allegations. They are true and author

Rachel Louie Snyder, says: child victims of assault often grow up to become victims again. The fact that Nicky was assaulted when she was five years old means that, as an adult she's put into a much higher risk category, in fact, it would mean or two thirds more likely to be victimized as an adult, but prosecutor crowds told the jurors that in making the case there is proof her allegations were false and that her injuries, often had an innocent explanation. The bruise on the eye was from Ben hitting or in the eye with a guitar. It's not rocket science. It was wit seen Ben hit her with it. The medical records were clear cut either according to kraus, including that first visit Nicky paid to this hospital when she was pregnant with fe,

and was asked a series of questions to which she answered. No is abuse inflicted with tools. Now I do you have burned. Does he burn? You know kraus it wasn t until Nicky returned a few days later that a nerve noted those burns. So what think that means I think she does to go back a second time and be able to answer yes to every single one of those questioned. What she was saying was happening was completely inconsistent with the evidence we refer being as our investigation when I and so Nicky faced a huge risk that day when cps came calling says, kraus per inventions of abuse would be exposed to kraus. That was making motive for murder. She was concerned. The child protect services would know this manipulated history that she put out. There was not truthful,

that she might lose her children. When seen in this light, kraus argued nick story of what happened. The night Chris died quickly. Unravels a pretty young mother eliciting sensibly was never what she seemed. I think people need I understand what really happened here and what really and here chris grover, asleep when she killed him. That's what happened here. seem photos from the case on facebook. At forty eight hours. The It was time for attorneys, John and Gracias and been asked her to present the defence

and nicky out among those murder trial. They say she lived in constant danger and believed she would die the night Chris grover died. You have a woman with no prior history of violence, no prior criminal history. At all. We know that too often, women who have sought help end up in a body bag. That was she was confronted with on that evening. The lawyers would need to convince a jury that Nagy acted in self defence and shot Chris to say her own life. So they called witnesses to corroborate nicky's, claim He was brutally abused by Chris. For years there were psychologist nurse midwives who were fearful of the abuse than Nicky was undergoing. There was a police officer testified at our trial. He was ready to send police officers to affect them.

rest, they produced photos documenting mickey's injuries and argued that Nicky's wounds could not have been self inflicted bonds to face the point of leaving a blister burned to the breast. She had bite marks on her shoulder blades. You can't reach your own shoulder blades, what about them? marks on her neck on her back places that she couldn't reach. How do you know if any of those injuries actually came from crest, and not one of the other individuals that She was claiming she was involved in a relationship with, but Nicky's lawyers

They, the other men brought up by the prosecution, were an attempt to create confusion and that nikki hadn't had sexual relations with any one but chris for years before his death, so that kind of fog that they created was shaming mickey away- and it's not relevant to the case of whether MR grover was Victimizing her with intimate partner violence, they insisted the aggressive tax snaky sent Chris were ways to stick up for herself and said she paid for them afterwards. When Chris hid her it's not on carbon, for people to use work to fight back. The lawyers reminded the jurors that the internet searches about how to kill someone who was sleeping. They were made on christmas phone with no evidence that Nicky made them

and the medical examiner testified, there was no proof. Chris was sleeping. Doktor newman said it could have happened exactly the way. Nicky said it happen. They called making herself to the stand so that yours could hear from her directly What did you tell her day, one day to tell the truth just to tell the truth, the truth, never changes, Nicky story did not change. Visibly shaken and sometimes in tears, nagy told the court that Chris lashed out, when he felt disrespected, beat her raped her choked her and left her tied up for hours.

four laura mogadishu watching her friend testify was hard breaking. It was three full days of her up there being interrogated and having to relive the trauma that she experienced. Nicky told the jurors that after Faye was born, Chris began watching pornography constantly and would try to recreate the porn with Nicky Nicky attorneys presented photos most to graff to show which nagy claim chris posted without her consent on porn hub, a pornographic video sharing website. The videos had key words like found in pound or a bitch or just really ugly, disrespectful language. The jurors saw the photographs

but they didn't see the ugly words or the information on the post about the user who uploaded the images someone called grover, respect like Chris grover does right himself. As a twenty nine year old cinematography who loved martial arts, the judge There was no way to prove Chris created it. Grover respect was who posted the porn hub videos, which were clearly our client. There was other residents. Jurors, did not see, including the full medical report from two thousand Fourteen and these midwife exams documenting injuries this summer before Chris died, in some ways her case was cut off at the knees from the start. It's not uncommon for some evidence to be excluded at a murder, trial and prosecutor. Hon across believes this was excluded,

for good reason. She argued that Nicky may have made the porn herself. There no way to identify a man in the photos and it wasn't rape. Does that look like someone is taking part in a consensual act believes that was consensual with absolutely Nicky's tat, de may not have changed many mines She would say one thing and then in the next breath she was saying something else right stand. You could see that it wasn't the truth. Music teacher Elisabeth Clifton did testify for nick defence, but wasn't asked about everything. She'd sea, including one day in two thousand? Sixteen when Nicky said she was having a miscarriage. The amount of blood dislike puddles apply, on the floor and

clothing, stand Elisabeth, believes curses abuse, cause the miss carriage and says Nicky was afraid to go, see a doctor because, Chris would get angry. I witnessed her suffer through a horrible painful where she was almost unable to speak, because she was in so much pain miscarriage because she was afraid to hospital Laura did not testify at the trial, but this photo of nick in a bridesmaid dress, said laura's wedding was a defence exhibit to document a burn on Nicky's chest? laura says it's an example of how the prosecution and not nick manipulated the story and she is what I believe was a burning. from a curling I because her hair was clearly just curled, Nicky's hair was just curl, says laura because the bridle

already had just gone to the hair salon together. She says the mark was big and oval shaped and was old and already healing when they go to the salon, and it was a birthmark from a heated metal spoon. There was no question. After fourteen days of testimony that case finally went to the jurors who, have to decide what guiana mondo terrified victim ormond Amulet is liar, the. after three days of deliberations finally averted,

ray of eight women or men rejected nicky item on those claim of self defence and convicted her of criminal possession of a weapon and second, degree murder. I get punched in the stomach really hard. This for her was the worst possible verdict, twice traumatic, she so tiny and cheese sitting there and people thinking she's real criminal, and I just wanted to hug Chris grover's family and friends found some comfort. At last thing somebody was listening and for once, little bit of relief because they had drunk surfers name through the mud, so bad and turn them into this monster that he was not did you feel vindicated

never about me. I felt happy for christmas family, He got to the point where they heard the jury say guilty, but the case wasn't over yet under an data in new york, state law, the domestic violence survivors, justice act, Nicky was entitled to another day in court hearing were her claims of domestic violence and might be factored in to reduce her sentence? I wrote a letter to the judge explicitly saying like these: are these the situations in which it was specifically cleared that was christopher moreover, who is hurting her judge, edward mclaughlin, who also presided over Nicky's murder, trial heard from other way. This is an from the prosecutors who argued that, He wasn't a real victim had access to services and she could have left set any time, including the day he died. She in a car

should the means to leave if she was concerned. If any of this were truthful, she had the whole day to leave. But author rage we Snyder, does believe Nicky and says expecting a victim of domestic violence to leave is misguided absolutely your most likely to die, leaving the research points over and over and over snyder, says Nicky did avail herself of services, but especially with two very young children at home? She couldn't figure out how to get out a lie. In fact, on the night Chris died nagy told the police officers that she asked is to let her go at least said, The teen times they said, let me leave plenty when I walked for anything and Nikki repeated that he said, you're not leaving. I tried to leave

I represent a young woman who laughed Eleven months later, she was killed, leaving doesnt protect. and leaving isn't the answer. What about the research that shows women who try to leave it there more likely to be harm? I dont dispute that at all, I just don't believe she was a victim here. I believe that she created all of this and of forty seven page ruling. Released in february of twenty twenty, the judges, julie sided with the prosecution saying Nicky was these steps from her front door. The night Chris died and could have left. He also said her inconsistent statements about past abuse, made it impossible to know the identity of her abuser. He didn't Nicky's request for a lighter sentence, the reasons

Sickly boiled down to, she could have just laughed and who knows who was abusing her? Nicky supporters insist they know exactly who was abusing her crests chris governing. His name is in those documents and the documents were submitted to the judge in his is there. Over and over and over again, but to this day christmas friend in former students then, the man they knew everybody loved Chris. He would go above and beyond for everyone you never sullen get upset. You never saw it at the gym he always made us feel safe, and I don't believe that he was ever capable of like any tabled harm. Someone can be a wonderful person in

of situations and still be an abuse her in the same way that someone can be a wonderful person and still be a victim. On February. Eleven Nicky supporters gathered once again outside the poughkeepsie courthouse this time sentencing hearing The system didn't get system got it right. We need to make sure that other real victims that around their true victims of domestic violence, understand that we are there to help you get out safely to prosecutor, Honneur crowds, they are sending a dangerous message. I think schumann laid them. I think she was monopoly, everybody around her looks him she may well be manipulative. I I have no idea right, but was she the victim? sustained and extremely severe abuse. Yes, Absolutely no doubt. In my mind, Nicky was

tend to nineteen years to life in prison, the groves family is now focused on the kids. Then in Faye live with Nicky's relatives and spend weekends with the grover's That's what means the world right now. Those kids Nagy drew these pictures of herself with children while in jail too many. The outcome of her trial was exactly what she feared all along that no one would believe her don't believe that a woman was victimized based upon the proof that we had here and what happens when you don't have visible bruises, to imagine there's a day some day when shall be free right, right now that skills very distant. making some warders continue to raise money to help

fray her legal expenses. The The the the An appeals court found that nicole at should have qualified for reduced sentence under the domestic violence. Survivors justice act and reduced her son. To seven point five years if you were a loved one or a victim of domestic violence? Call the national domestic violence hotline, one eight hundred seven nine nine seven to three three:

So far. The worst thing I have seen the victim was jacqueline, vandegrift, a chance encounter, a vicious murder was it because she resembled the killer's x how he was stalking. Me was completely related to Jackie vandergrift step forty eight hours saturday at ten nine central cbs. hey prime members, you can listen to the forty eight hours podcast ad free on amazon music download, the amazon music ab today or you can listen ad ray with wondering, plus an apple pie, gas before you go tell us about yourself by completing a short survey of wondering dog com, sledge survey,