True Crime 757

WTKR News 3

True Crime 757 gives a deeper, behind-the-scenes look into the stories covered by WTKR News 3 with host Jon Sham, lead investigator Margaret Kavanagh, and other guests. Each episode covers a true crime story from the Hampton Roads region: who was involved, the status of the case, and more about what went into reporting and airing those stories.

  1. What happens when police break the law? Virginia sees spike in law enforcement decertifications

    -4 j

    What happens when police break the law? Virginia sees spike in law enforcement decertifications

    When members of Virginia law enforcement — be them police officers, state troopers, sheriff's deputies, or prison guards — break the law or run afoul of state code, a process for decertification of their police license goes into play. It should be noted of the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers in the commonwealth, cases where they break the law or violate code and get decertified are rare. One recent case on the Eastern Shore of Virginia involved an Accomack County sheriff's deputy named Luke Arnold, who was charged with the assault and battery of a drunk inmate after bodycam video showed him slamming the man's head against a wall while he was cuffed and shackled. The case led to Arnold being let go from the sheriff's office and decertification. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail — but they were all suspended. Other cases can involve decertifcation for infractions against the code, which have grown in recent years as the code was revised and expanded through law changes. According to data provided to the WTKR News 3 Investigative Team by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, six officers were placed on the decertification list in 2019, compared to 83 in 2025 — an increase of 1,283 percent. Violations of truthfulness, which may not lead to job loss in other lines of work, can lead to decertification in the Virginia code, as well as refusal to take a drug test, and falsifying documents. An analysis of the data showed about one-third of decertifications were for criminal activities. On this episode of True Crime 757, Jon and Margaret discuss the circumstances of police decertifications and highlight specific recent cases. To see bodycam video from the Arnold investigation, go to wtkr.com/truecrime757, where we also have a PDF of all Virginia police decertifications dating back to 2021.

    21 min
  2. Sailor gets 43 years after pleading guilty to strangling Angelina Resendiz in barracks at Naval Station Norfolk

    18 juin

    Sailor gets 43 years after pleading guilty to strangling Angelina Resendiz in barracks at Naval Station Norfolk

    Jermiah Copeland was sentenced on June 9 to serve another 43 years in prison, on top of the year he's been held in the brig, for the murder of fellow sailor Angelina Resendiz at Naval Station Norfolk last May. Copeland pleaded guilty to Resendiz's unpremeditated murder, describing in detail to the military court how he strangled her to death in his barracks, hid her body in a duffel bag, and then left her in the woods near a Norfolk school. He showed remorse in court and in a private meeting with Esmeralda Castle, Resendiz's mother, held at her request before the sentencing. WTKR News 3 Norfolk reporter Jay Greene has been in court for every hearing on this case since Copeland first appeared before the judge. But the June hearings with the plea deal, sentencing, and testimony from numerous people who knew Angelina — and a few of Copeland's family — were by far the most emotional. In court, discussions of Copeland's abuse as a child, his large family, his love of sports, and his own young child shed more light on the figure who has not been seen by the public since his arrest. Castle spoke publicly about how her journey in accepting her daughter's death included a path toward forgiveness for her killer. Greene and host Jon Sham unpack everything we learned in the military court martial for Jermiah Copeland in the latest episode of the True Crime 757 podcast. Watch the podcast with video on our YouTube page or at wtkr.com/truecrime757.

    30 min
  3. ODU ROTC cadet Janice Starr was murdered by her instructor in 1981. Before he was caught, he crashed his plane.

    16 juin

    ODU ROTC cadet Janice Starr was murdered by her instructor in 1981. Before he was caught, he crashed his plane.

    In November 1981, 23-year-old Janice Starr, a cadet in the Old Dominion University ROTC program, was murdered in her Chesapeake apartment by her instructor, Dwight Beddingfield. But before investigators could confirm Beddingfield — who was married with kids — committed the crime, he intentionally crashed a plane near an airport in Chesapeake, killing himself. And while the murder mystery was solved in the wake of Beddingfield's suicide, the how and why were much bigger questions that police detective Kay Shucker sought to answer through her months-long investigation. Local true crime author Ron Peterson published the 2024 book ⁠In the Wind⁠ about the investigation of Starr's murder. Watch the video above to see the story complete with contemporaneous news articles, photos from the crime scene, and much more. Watch this podcast at wtkr.com/truecrime757 or on YouTube to see photos of those involved, documents, diary entries, and more.

    39 min
  4. Disturbing details in Lina Guerra murder allege she was still alive when her husband David Varela put her in the freezer

    5 juin

    Disturbing details in Lina Guerra murder allege she was still alive when her husband David Varela put her in the freezer

    In a bond hearing Thursday for David Varela, the Navy reservist accused of murdering his wife earlier this year before fleeing the U.S., prosecutors outlined disturbing new details about the alleged crime as they punctuated their argument for keeping him behind bars while he awaits trial. News 3 and True Crime 757 have reported extensively on the conditions around 39-year-old Lina Guerra's murder: that she was found in a trash bag in the freezer of the couple's apartment in the Icon building, frozen solid to the point where it took the medical examiner several days to thaw her body before they performed the autopsy. Her official cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. But now, prosecutors are saying that Guerra's head was wrapped around seven times with plastic — and that she may have still been alive when she was stuffed in the freezer. Shortly before police discovered Guerra's body, Varela drove to New York with her three dogs and dropped them off with a friend before flying to Hong Kong. He remained in Hong Kong for more than two months living at a hostel until he was exposed through a News 3 investigation and attempted to fly to Russia to avoid extradition, prosecutors say. He was captured at the airport trying to board that flight days after News 3 contacted him and asked him about Lina's death. Varela's defense argued he has no criminal history and maintains his innocence in an attempt to send him to Florida to stay with his mother before the trial. The judge ultimately said he's a danger to the community and a flight risk. To see video from Varela's court appearance, watch this podcast at wtkr.com/truecrime757.

    12 min
  5. Why were child neglect charges against Ebony Parker dismissed in Richneck shooting trial? A look at the twist ending of the long anticipated case

    29 mai

    Why were child neglect charges against Ebony Parker dismissed in Richneck shooting trial? A look at the twist ending of the long anticipated case

    After just two days of testimony, the long anticipated trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary the day Abby Zwerner was shot by a student, concluded with a bit of a twist ending. The commonwealth closed its case at the end of the third day, and early on the fourth day, Judge Rebecca Robinson heard a motion from Parker's defense team to strike the charges and ultimately dismiss the case. She agreed. Parker, who had appeared stoic and unemotional throughout the civil and criminal trials, broke down sobbing in the courtroom. WTKR Newport News reporter Brendan Ponton, who covered the case all week, and legal analyst Eric Korslund join host Jon Sham for this episode of the True Crime 757 podcast, where they break down what happened in the courtroom and why the judge granted an unusual motion to strike. Watch this podcast with video from the courtroom at wtkr.com/truecrime757

    26 min
  6. Former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker's felony child neglect case heads to court years after 6-year-old student shot Abby Zwerner

    12 mai

    Former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker's felony child neglect case heads to court years after 6-year-old student shot Abby Zwerner

    As a jury handed down a verdict last November in Abby Zwerner's lawsuit against Ebony Parker, the former Richneck Elementary assistant principal — who prosecutors say ignored warnings that the 6-year-old student had a gun and threatened to use it — appeared stoic and did not react. Zwerner had waited nearly three years for the verdict that found Parker grossly negligent on Jan. 6, 2023, the Zwerner's first-grade student pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest, nearly killing her. The jury recommended an award of $10 million for Zwerner — a large sum, but a quarter of what her attorneys had asked for. But Parker's day time court did not end with the civil trial: criminal charges awaited in another trial initially meant to start later in November; it was ultimately pushed out to mid-May to give her team more time to prepare. Ebony Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect — one for each bullet in the gun brought by the child into the classroom on that day. (Note: None of the students in the classroom were harmed, and the child's mother was previously convicted of the same charge for allowing the child access to the gun.) When her trial begins on May 18, prosecutors will try to prove to a new jury, with a higher legal burden, that Parker's "willful act or omission in the care of [children] was so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life." Parker's defense team will seek to convince the jury otherwise. On this episode of the True Crime 757 podcast, Jon talks with Norfolk-based criminal defense and personal injury attorney Eric Korslund about the facts of the case, what to expect in jury selection, how each side may argue it's key points, and the impact of the lawsuit outcome on the criminal case. This episode of True Crime 757 was produced and edited by Jon Sham. It was directed by Noah Kim and is based on reporting by Kelsey Jones, Ellen Ice, Colter Anstaettt, and Erin Holly. True Crime 757 is sponsored by ⁠Korslund Law⁠.

    33 min
  7. As a shooter opened fire in the classroom, ODU ROTC cadet credits Lt. Col. Brandon Shah for saving his life

    6 mai

    As a shooter opened fire in the classroom, ODU ROTC cadet credits Lt. Col. Brandon Shah for saving his life

    As a gunman opened fire on an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University the morning of March 12, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah charged in and was shot three times before he took the shooter to the ground. Tragically, Shah died later that day at the hospital. But those who remember his heroism, including ROTC cadet and graduating senior Jah-Ire Urtarte, credit his quick action and bravery for saving his life — and the lives of his classmates. Urtarte told News 3 reporter Jay Greene that Shah died practicing what he always preached: exceeding the standard. In this extended interview, Urtarte talks about his memories of the shooting and the lessons Shah taught him over four years in the ROTC program.

    37 min
  8. Catching a fugitive: International manhunt for Norfolk Navy reservist wanted in wife's murder ends after 2.5 months

    20 avr.

    Catching a fugitive: International manhunt for Norfolk Navy reservist wanted in wife's murder ends after 2.5 months

    More than two months after Norfolk Navy reservist David Varela fled the U.S., he was arrested in Hong Kong and extradited to the U.S. to face charges in the murder of his wife, 39-year-old Lina Guerra. Guerra's body was found in the freezer of their apartment in the Icon building in early February around the same time Varela, 38, was on a plane halfway across the world. Varela's arrest was confirmed first by WTKR News 3 on Wednesday, April 15 about 10 weeks after he reportedly fled. His arrest was made a day after WTKR ran a report about how we reached him by phone in a video call days the previous Friday. We received a tip about Varela's apparent whereabouts after two Russian women had met him at a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Investigative reporter Margaret Kavanagh then called a number for Varela provided by the women, who said he was romantically interested in one of them. But then they had a suspicion about him and looked him up online, discovering the accusations from WTKR's reporting, and reached out to us. While the exact circumstances of Varela's arrest are not yet known — given the shaky relationship between the U.S. and China and the lack of an extradition treaty — we believe the bravery of these women played a critical role. After his arrest, Varela was flown to San Francisco to face a federal charge of fleeing to avoid prosecution. He's then expected back in Norfolk this week before hearings begin in Lina's murder trial. By then, it had made international headlines — including in major U.S. outlets and Hong Kong media. In this episode of True Crime 757, Margaret and Jon discuss the arrest, the role of our reporting, and what to expect next as the case unfolds.

    17 min
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À propos

True Crime 757 gives a deeper, behind-the-scenes look into the stories covered by WTKR News 3 with host Jon Sham, lead investigator Margaret Kavanagh, and other guests. Each episode covers a true crime story from the Hampton Roads region: who was involved, the status of the case, and more about what went into reporting and airing those stories.

Informations

  • Création
    WTKR News 3
  • Années d’activité
    2025 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    24
  • Copyright
    © Scripps Media Inc.
  • Site web de l’émission
    True Crime 757
  • Fournisseur

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