that does it for us this round. thank you so much for joining us here on like it or not, you can now watch even more of like it or not, the show is streaming every weekday on the fox local app from 10 to 11 and from 3 to 4. enjoy your day. we'll see you next time. rock your body. move it out. go and take that step. go! break it down. rock your body. move it out. g take i'm anna garcia right now on true crime news. >> everyone asks why we kill their parents. >> the menendez brothers speak out from behind bars for the first time in three decades. >> so much hasn't been told. >> rich kids from beverly hills convicted of killing their own parents. was the motive greed or sexual abuse? >> did you ask him not to? >> yes. >> the newly surfaced letter

written by eric. that's the linchpin of their appeal. could they walk free? >> there's people that believe i shouldn't spend the rest of my life in prison. >> plus a single mom home alone when she stabbed 60 times. >> i watched them take my baby out of a body bag. >> the killer stages the crime scene and leaves behind one crucial clue. >> it shows that it was personal. >> after hundreds of leads that go nowhere, cops zeroing in on a prime suspect. but how could it be his dna matches someone else's. >> did you kill her or not? >> your daily source for true crime starts right now. welcome to true crime news. let's get right to our top story. what's the problem? >> what's the problem? >> i'm sorry to tell my parents. >> pardon me. so do you. >> they were two good looking, but seemingly spoiled beverly hills rich kids who shocked the

world when they killed their parents. jose and kitty, in 1989, launching one of america's most infamous criminal trials. >> lyle had cheated his way and got kicked out of princeton. they were complete failures to their father. >> their story is making major headlines right now as new evidence is surfacing. that may just change everything for the incarcerated brothers. >> there was tension in the house. there was fighting in the house. the father was threatening to disown them, to take them out of the will. >> veteran journalist shelly ross led coverage for abc news during the trial. she spoke with true crime news about the brothers allegation that they were sexually abused. having delved deep into the case, ross isn't convinced. >> a lot of things were happening, but not over sexual abuse. >> did you ask him not to?

>> yes. >> how did you ask him not to? >> i just told him i don't. >> but a newly discovered letter written from eric menendez to his cousin before the murders writes about sex abuse from his father, eric, saying, i've been trying to avoid dad. it's still happening. could it be a key piece of evidence to change past court decisions? many of the brother's supporters, including rosie o'donnell and kim kardashian, are now calling for the convictions to be vacated. in fact, kardashian penned a letter, writing we owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods. but not everyone is convinced the pair should be freed. >> they're just gullible. they want to cause kim kardashian. i admire because she has worked very hard for years for prison reform and the justice system. i

think that's great. so she got caught up in this. it's not her fault that she's gullible. >> now there's the tick tock movement to free the menendez. >> but pressure is building with last week's news that la da george gascon and his office are considering legal requests to resentence the brothers. a court hearing is set for late november. >> we have not decided on an outcome. we are reviewing the information. >> additional evidence may support a rehearing, including a claim in a peacock documentary by former menudo boyband member roy rossello, that he was raped by music executive jose menendez. >> i know what he did to me in his house. >> after many years of following the story. shelly ross has her own strong opinions on the brothers. >> i wouldn't say he abused the two children by the time they killed their parents, they were

fully grown adults about to go away to college, and from the beginning, their entire story. this entire case is just one big lie. it was a big, giant, 100 pound elephant of a lie 35 years ago. it was 100 pound lie during the trial, and 35 years later, it's still a big lie. >> renewed interest in the case has reached a fever pitch between a scripted series on netflix and a new documentary. >> maybe now people can understand the truth. >> for the first time in 30 years, the 56 and 53 year old brothers are telling their own story from behind prison walls in the menendez brothers, everyone asked why we killed their parents. >> we looked like the perfect family. but behind the walls, something very wrong was happening.

>> no doubt the menendez brothers are hoping the attention will translate into an official hearing from the justice system and possible freedom. now we turn to the tragic murder of a young mom who wanted to become a teacher. but her dreams and her life were cut short after a monster attacked her in the middle of the night. 22 year old holly cassano was open and outgoing. maybe to a fault. >> i don't want to say she's naive because the word naive just sounds so negative, but she really was so innocent. she lived in a small town, so i don't really think that being cautious or being worried is something that came natural to her. >> but what did come naturally to holly was being a good mom to her adorable 17 month old daughter, alexis. >> alexis was starting to say new words and she was really excited about that. >> she worked two jobs to support her daughter. >> holly put down roots just a

stone's throw from her mom, aunt, and grandmother in the neighborhood of candlewood estates. >> she loved everyone. she talked to everyone, everyone in the park knew who she was. >> then, late one night, just after halloween, holly's bright smile would fade forever when a true life monster would stalk the streets of candlewood estates in illinois that evening, holly was working a late shift at the supermarket. her mom, tony, takes little alexis to meet her for a good night kiss before bedtime. >> and then we say goodbye. and that was the last i saw. >> it's an image that now haunts tony, along with a final phone call late that night she had called me. >> she was getting off of work and she says, mom, one of my friends here at work is making cookies, and i really, really want to stay and have cookies. i'm like, be sure that you're back to the house early enough

so that you'll be up to get alexis in the morning, i promise. mom, i promise i'll get her in the morning. >> tragically, it was a promise holly would never keep. holly gets home just before midnight, sending a text to a friend. the single word. >> hey, that occurred at about 11:16 p.m. that night. it went unanswered. >> when it comes time to pick up alexis the next morning, holly is a no show. >> i decided i was going to go over there and wake her up. >> tony races over, then goes inside and sees something. no mother should ever have to see. >> i walk through the house and i call for her and she didn't answer and i went back further into the house and i would have never thought that i would ever see a scene like that in real life, spread out on the bedroom floor, covered in blood. >> it's holly, stabbed to death.

tony's heart sinks. >> i sat down next to her and i calmly prayed to god. and then i picked up the phone and dialed 911 and told them my daughter was killed. they told me i had to leave the house. i had to go outside, but i didn't want to leave her and i watched them take my baby out of her. her house in a body bag. i'll always remember seeing my mom how it affected her, her falling to the ground. >> investigator duane ralphs is struck by the unimaginable cruelty it was a very violent scene. >> there was a large amount of blood in the bedroom area. there was also blood in other parts of the of the home as well. >> blood from an overkill of stab wounds 60 times with a knife. the final blow straight

to her chest. >> her body was moved and positioned. maybe after she was killed, there was a seminal fluid that was swabbed along with blood evidence from from the scene itself. it was possible that she was sexually assaulted after the homicide was committed. >> sifting through the grisly scene, cops discover a critical clue the killer had injured himself. as holly courageously fought for her life, leaving drops of blood all over holly's home. blood evidence, seminal dna. now cops have to match that evidence to a killer, and everyone's first question is, could it be someone holly knew? >> i don't feel that it was random the way they killed her, the way they mutilated her body afterwards. >> according to family, holly didn't have an enemy in the world except for maybe one. up next, cops have the killer's dna. but it would take years to

track him down. is it someone? holly knew? >> it's very, very possible that this offender committed a similar crime in the past. he probably could do it again. >> my name is braydon. i was five years old when i came to saint jude. i'll try and shorten down the story. >> so i've been having these headaches that wouldn't go away. my mom, she was just crying. what? they said your son has brain cancer backwards. it was your worst fear coming to life watching your child grow up is the dream of every parent. >> you can join the battle to save the lives of kids like brayden by supporting saint jude children's research hospital. families never receive a bill from saint jude for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live.

>> what they have done for me, my son, my family. i'm sorry. yeah, life is a gift, especially for a child battling cancer. >> call or go online and help save the lives of children like brayden. >> now i'm 11 years old. we were actually doing the checkup for my brain and they they saw something in my throat. it's thyroid cancer. >> it was heartbreaking to find out that he has cancer again, but we knew who we had behind us. it just gives me hope you can make a difference. >> join with your credit or debit card for only $19 a month and we'll send you this saint jude t-shirt without saint jude or its donors, we would have been in a bad place. >> these kids, they've done nothing wrong in the world. finding a cure for childhood

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we're back with the murder of single mom holly cassano. she fell asleep watching tv. hours

later, she would be found dead by her own mother. she had been stabbed 60 times. police say that her killer left a huge clue, but it would take years before they finally caught him. loving single mom holly cassano home alone, savagely murdered. it was obvious this was a brutal attack. >> that brutality left holly's killer wounded. his blood all over holly's home. >> there was a large amount of blood that was found inside the home. and it was offender blood. >> there was no time to waste. cops needed to find holly's killer before his wounds could heal. police then canvased the 600 plus unit mobile home park, candlewood estates, interviewing coworkers from the supermarket where holly worked. >> we watched video, tried to find the subjects that came in contact with her. >> detectives gathered dna swabs numbering in the hundreds, but they don't get a single match.

the rage of the murderer told cops this was no random act of violence. >> somebody who did this to my niece had to have known her. there was so many reasons that it shows that it was personal. >> investigators zeroed in on one of holly's exes, but science soon revealed another dead end. >> eight years later, we still don't have a match. >> eventually turning to new state of the art dna analysis, investigators were later able to narrow down who they could be looking for. >> it's very, very possible that this offender committed a similar crime in the past, and if he hasn't done it since, he probably could do it again someday. >> it would take nearly a decade before cops would know for sure. but finally, a huge break in the case. >> i think deep down inside, you knew that one day this day would come. >> in a stunning development, investigators id'd the prime

suspect, a man named michael hanzlik. >> i think you can help bring closure to a lot of people, including yourself. >> so after so many years, what led investigators to his door? turns out michael and holly went to the same high school at the same time and had mutual friends, but were never close. the gruesome crime scene had all the clues right there in blood and dna. parabon nanolabs, which specializes in familial dna testing, was brought in to help trace the crime scene dna to the actual killer. >> so by the time law enforcement comes to me on these cold cases, they have exhausted all other avenues of investigation. >> cece moore is chief genetic genealogist at parabon. she traced the killer's genetic details back to the 1600s, then worked forward. dna pointed to two potential suspects michael

hanzlik and his younger brother. >> i handed over the names of both brothers, but i definitely put emphasis on the older brother because of circumstantial evidence that made him seem like the more likely candidate. he went to the same high school as holly. they were one year apart. he also lived very close by and perhaps most notably, he had charges from domestic violence and strangulation. >> investigators obtained hanslick's matching dna sample from a discarded cigarette butt. dna evidence that that that that's irrefutable. hanzlik insists he's innocent. >> your story does not make sense. >> i want to know the real reason as to why you decided to kill her. >> police grill him with questions for five hours. after hours of back and forth, cops call out his lies, then take the gloves off. >> because i'm sick of sitting here listening to a bunch of coming out of your mouth. >> did you kill her or not? you did.

>> how? i stabbed her. >> where? all over. >> finally, a confession. but why did he take the young mother's life? >> why did you kill her? there was nothing there. you're so tough. you killed somebody. you can't even say it. why? >> there was no reason. >> when the case goes to trial, michael admits that he was there the night holly died. but in a bizarre turn, he suggests someone else was the killer. >> when she asked for help, i failed. not just failing in tha. in that situation where i failed to approach, to call 9-1. >> the jury doesn't buy it. he's found guilty. the judge says he targeted holly, sentencing him to spend the rest of his natural life in prison. >> i think that the life sentence was appropriate because now he can't hurt anybody else.

>> holly's mom, toni, legally adopted her granddaughter and the rest of holly's family has banded together to raise little alexis. up next, it was the case that captured the nation's attention. alex murdaugh, convicted of killing his own wife and son. there is so much more to the story. when we come back. >> if you're living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis or active psoriatic arthritis, symptoms can sometimes hold you back. but now there's skyrizi so you can be all in with clear skin. things are getting clearer. >> yeah, i feel free to bare my skin. yeah, that's on me. nothing is everything with skyrizi. >> you can show up with 90% clear skin. and if you have psoriatic arthritis, skyrizi can help you move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. skyrizi is just four doses a year after two starter doses. >> serious allergic reactions

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closed captioning and other considerations for true crime news provided by advil. >> liquid gels are faster and stronger than tylenol rapid release gels, also from advil. advil. targeted relief the only topical with four powerful pain fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to eight hours. >> when my mom needed adult diapers, i didn't know where to start. then i found carewell. i

called their 24 over seven customer care team and got advice on which products were right for her. they helped me find the right fit and absorbency for her needs. i was able to get exactly what mom needed at a great price. plus, it shipped free right to my door as a new caregiver, i have a lot of questions. i'm so glad carewell is there to help. save 30% on your first order and get 24 over seven customer care at carewell. com. >> welcome back every week on true crime news, the podcast, we bring you insights and new information on some of the biggest true crime cases. and this week we are tackling the murdaugh murders. murdaugh is, of course, the high profile attorney from a powerful southern family who shot and killed his wife, margaret, and their son paul. at the time of his murder, paul was awaiting trial for boating under the influence in a crash that killed a friend. >> every crime alec is accused of and convicted of has an echo in the past. every single one.

>> this week on true crime news, the podcast i talk with valerie bauerlein, a wall street journal reporter and the author of the devil at his elbow, a new book about the murdaughs which chronicles a dark family history of dishonesty and corruption. >> the family fortune was created by an act of insurance fraud in 1940. >> valerie says murdaughs great grandfather was broke and so he parked his car in front of a speeding train and was killed, leading to the family winning a massive wrongful death lawsuit. >> and that was the genesis of the family fortune. >> alex, a personal injury attorney, was also convicted of several financial crimes, bilking his victims out of millions of dollars over the years. you can listen to true crime news, the podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. we'll be right back. >> whether because of discomfort, lack of mobility, your lifestyle or occupation,

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deep breath. cancer is a journey you don't take alone. you did it!

our cancer care team works together to care for all that is you. >> now a story. we're following in our newsroom. police have

released dramatic footage connected with a deadly police shooting and murder. it starts with a911 call. when a man noticed that some of his personal guns were missing. moments later, a loud bang. that's when police say the homeowner, russell novak, was shot dead. police chased the suspect. the man's son, nicholas novak, through several cities. eventually, russell gets out of his car, pointing a gun at police. they returned fire, killing him. for the latest breaking crime news, go to true crime news.com. watch more exclusive content on our youtube channel. listen to our podcast and follow us at my. true crime news. one more thing before we go. we have another true crime news scam alert. with thousands still cleaning up from hurricane helene and millions bracing for hurricane milton, federal agencies are warning those impacted to be on the lookout for fraudsters. the justice department says to beware of donation scams, where websites

pose as legitimate charities, only to steal your money. and if someone asks you for money to help you qualify for fema funds, it's a scam. the ftc is also saying to be on the lookout for home improvement and debris removal scams. walk away. if someone demands cash payments up front. that's it for today's true crime news. i'm anna garcia. join us next time, everyone. - [caller] we at gwinnett mall, and a lady just got shot. - what caused her to die? - there was a single gunshot wound. the victim had no identifying information on their person. - the vehicle is the crime scene. - we scoured the streets to find this car 'cause without it, i had no evidence. (intense music) - he felt armed with the knowledge that fingerprints don't lie. - the fingerprints aren't gonna lie.