bed sleeping? >> do you make it? >> no. no, no. >> my wife. i'm gonna check this side right in. and you are going to stay there. all right. well, it sounds like it was a good night. >> yeah, it was fun. let's do it again. >> good night. >> slept in. >> the beds are made, and that wraps up, like it or not. but before we go, send us your. like it or not questions we want to hear from you. record yourself asking a question along with where you're from and you could see it right during our show. you can send us a mes sa i'm anna garcia right now on true crime news. rap star and rihanna's partner asap rocky in a los angeles courtroom today for jury selection. rocky, facing 24 years for allegedly firing a gun at a friend. could this video do him in? plus, jonathan cruz young life was cut short with a bullet to his

heart. >> oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he shot himself. >> his family says he didn't take his own life. they say he was killed by someone with a deadly grudge. was it suicide or was it foul play? >> the smoking gun is the gun. >> thanks for joining us. we begin with the latest in the case against rapper asap rocky, who is awaiting trial on gun charges. the hip hop mogul appearing in a los angeles courtroom today as jury selection begins asap. >> how are you holding up? >> asap rocky entering court today with attorney joe tacopina as jury selection gets underway in downtown los angeles. >> on the matter of rocky myers. >> the state of california versus rakim mayers. his legal name. >> can he be treated fairly? >> ja happ rocky has pleaded not

guilty and faces 24 years behind bars. >> he's facing 24 years because he's been charged with two felonies felonies related to him pulling a gun and firing that gun towards his childhood friend. >> that friend, terell ephron, the place a hollywood parking garage the day after thanksgiving in 2021. according to prosecutors, this video tells the story. a man who they say is rocky is seen holding a gun, and later shots are heard. the alleged result? a bullet grazing terrell's hand. >> i suspect that the defense will rely heavily on the video, and the fact that the video does not provide a positive identification of rocky. they will also rely on the fact that no gun was ever recovered. and ave theory that this is a case of extortion. >> this is in large part about money, money, money. and if he

got money, we wouldn't all be sitting here right now. >> hey, joe, what's the plan today? >> court. >> asap's attorney tacopina, who has worked high profile cases including former yankees third baseman alex rodriguez, natalee holloway's murderer joran van der sloot and donald trump, to name a few, tells true crime news the case against rocky is weak. >> it relies on testimony from people who are not credible. and i believe the defense is very, very strong. i think the police are very competent in this investigation. i think they did a great job. i think they did a thorough search. and i think that if there were things there for them to find, they would have found it. there's a reason that ten police officers searched and didn't find shell casings there. the facts of the facts, the evidence, the evidence. and i have no problem with anyone they could bring. what's his name? hochman. nathan. hochman. yeah, sure. let him come through, i don't care. >> los angeles county district attorney nathan hochman tells me

his team can make their case. in the case of asap rocky. his attorney's recently said that they were pretty sure that they would prevail in court. what are your thoughts? >> i appreciate any time a defense counsel or are pretty sure they're going to prevail, but we don't bring cases unless we're very sure that we can win those cases by establishing and meeting our burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt. i believe that when we see that the evidence that's going to be presented, in that case, we will meet that burden. >> and the two of you straight ahead of you. >> and what effect, if any, will a significant other superstar singer rihanna have on the case? they share two children. she could be called to testify against him about what she knows. >> if they're legally married anywhere. there's no common law marriage. that's recognized. >> comadena i don't know whatever. >> so if they are legally married anywhere, she will be

his wife. okay. if they are not legally married anywhere, she is his. >> significant other. okay. you know, this case is not about rihanna, but i guess the da wants to make sure that people aren't so enamored with rihanna that they're going to be so blinded by their love for rihanna that they won't listen to the evidence and the facts. in this case, i don't think that's the case. i think people are too smart for that. we're ready to go. we're ready to go. i mean, it's been a long time. it's been over two years. obviously, it's been something that's weighing over, you know, rocky and rihanna and their families heads for a while and we're just ready. we're anxious to get this thing underway and get this behind him. >> we'll be following this case closely and bring you updates both here and on true crime news.com. up next, a woman calls 911 claiming her boyfriend took his own life. >> he shot himself. yeah. >> but something doesn't add up.

>> why would he shoot himself? it doesn't make any sense that he would do this. >> w it suicide or did someone kill him? >> anyone home in here? aunt jean. >> how's it going, honey? >> there's a lot to take care of. more sympathy cards. >> your mom was well loved. i hope you. >> know how grateful she was to have you. i know. speaking of grateful, what is it? it's a check from united of omaha life insurance company. mom's life insurance. life insurance? so soon? just like they said. my sister always looking out for her family. i can still hear her. i don't want my bills to be your problem. this check will help a lot. >> if you're age 45 to. >> 85. >> you can't be turned down for. >> up to $25,000 in life insurance from united of omaha. policy start at just $6.38 a month, and benefits could be paid in as little as 24 hours.

>> how did she qualify, you know, with her health issues with these policies? health issues don't matter. she was so relieved. >> policies are available with no health questions, no medical exam, no blood tests. >> i just assumed life insurance would be way over my budget. no one kept a tighter budget than mom. if she could manage the rates, you can too. but did her rates go up every year? nope. there's a rate lock built into the policy. >> policy start at just $6.38 a month. your rate is locked in for life. the cost of a funeral can be $9,000 or more. with one call, you can give your loved ones the protection they need to help pay these costs. and unlike some policies, benefits are payable from the first day. >> mom just felt better knowing we'd have help and i couldn't be more grateful. you should call your nattinen of omaha. i guess i'll never stop learning from my big sister. >> don't put off life insurance. call united of omaha today. >> call (800) 781-6893. you

can't be turned down. call today to lock in your rates. (800) 781-6893. that's (800) 781-6893. >> on the next true crime news. a woman mysteriously dies in a fire. the shocking wist.

when the cruz family was notified that their beloved son jonathan had taken his own life,

they were heartbroken and confused. but jonathan's loved ones are convinced that he didn't die by suicide. they say he was murdered, and they are determined to prove it. a peaceful night in coppell, texas, erupts in panic. >> oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he's shooting himself on the heart. and he's dead right now. he shot himself. yes. >> but just one week before that desperate 911 call, it was moving day for jonathan cruz, the 27 year old urgent care director moved from his parents home and into his first apartment. his younger sister danny, proud of her big brother's step. >> he'd gotten a new car recently and he was just he was really happy with where he was going. >> right by his side. his girlfriend, 26 year old martial arts instructor brenda lazaro. danny had introduced them. >> she was a good friend of mine

for about two years. >> the two women met at karate school where brenda taught, and danny attended classes. soon, danny's brother joined the karate studio and fell for the instructor. >> he actually asked for my permission to ask her out because he knew she was my friend and he didn't want to get in between that. >> but once they started dating, serious sparks flew. >> he was the kind of guy where he fell hard. >> but before jonathan could be certain, brenda was the one he planned to get together with his best friend from college, jacob, and his girlfriend, emily. >> she didn't talk very much, and at that time, i didn't know anything about her. i just kind of assumed that she was really shy, which i thought was interesting. you know, i didn't really see him as typically dating shy girls. later that night, i believe we got a text from him telling us that she just wasn't feeling well that night. so that's why she wasn't talking. >> on the ride home, brenda goes from seemingly shy to furious. the apparent reason?

>> it took a day or two for her to admit that she was really upset that he had hugged emily. and the apparently innocent hug with just a friend turns into a fight between brenda and jonathan. >> he didn't understand. he was very confused, he said. i hugged emily, i hugged jacob, i didn't give her more of a hug than i gave him, but she was just furious over it. >> and after two months pass, brenda reveals she still holding a grudge about the incident. >> that was the first glimpse of the jealousy that i ever saw. >> the next weekend, jonathan meets emily and jacob for brunch. >> he told emily that brenda had an issue with her. brenda found out that emily was there and went crazy, texting him and demanding to talk to emily. >> suddenly, brenda is blowing up jonathan's phone. >> she had kind of gone off the rails after i got off the phone. he was very clear that he was breaking up with her. you know, he was supposed to actually be with jacob and i later that

night and go to a super bowl party, and he insisted that he needed to stay home because he was going to pack up all of her stuff. >> emily and jacob drop off jonathan at his apartment. >> i gave him a hug and jacob gave him a hug and we just told him we loved him. >> they don't know it at the time, but it will be their last conversation with jonathan. that afternoon, brenda comes over to jonathan's apartment so they can talk, and according to his friends and family, he plans to tell her it's over. then, at around 11 that night, emily receives a disturbing text message from jonathan. >> that said, i want to die, period. >> emily has no idea what to make of it. >> i texted him back and said, are you okay, love? >> tragically, jonathan is not okay. >> oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, he said to himself. he shot himself. he shot himself. yeah. >> police are on the scene within minutes of the 911 call and find jonathan's distraught

girlfriend, brenda. >> she was screaming and crying. >> brenda tells police she and jonathan were arguing during this argument. brenda tells police that she was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, and jonathan was under the covers. then, according to the police report, brenda claims jonathan suddenly said, baby, i love you and i'm going to show you that i love you. >> then all of a sudden she hears this bang. brenda says jonathan shot himself. >> then brenda drops this bombshell. >> so she was breaking up with him. >> police discovered jonathan's final text message, which reads, i want to die. it appears to corroborate brenda's story. jonathan's family arrives at the scene shortly after the fatal shooting. >> they wouldn't let me in the apartment, and i asked him three separate times if he was sure that jonathan was dead. and he said he was. >> the cruz family is heartbroken. >> why would he shoot himself? it doesn't make any sense that

he would do this. i thought maybe an intruder had come in and shot him. and then brenda found him that way and thought he'd done it. >> but according to the police report, there was no intruder. just brenda and jonathan were present in the room. >> even that night after we got back from his apartment and all that, i thought, you know, even no matter how mad she is at him, she always talks about how much she loves me. so, you know, she wouldn't do that to me. >> surely jonathan's family is distraught. they say the 27 year old wasn't suicidal. >> he was just too happy to looking forward to the future. too good of a place in his life, too rational. >> but a police report reveals jonathan did have a history of depression and was supposed to be on antidepressants but wasn't taking them. as investigators begin to process the crime scene, they bag jonathan's hands to preserve evidence. the police affidavit reveals. officers on the scene found a semi-automatic pistol on his left side.

although jonathan is right handed. the affidavit also reveals what appears to be a single gunshot wound around his heart, though authorities note men who commit suicide with guns tend to shoot themselves in the head or mouth. now suspicious about jonathan's death, the family hires private investigator sheila wysocky. >> pam and john called me and told me about their son's case, and i asked them to send me all the documentation on it. >> once sheila gets the police report, she creates three animated scenarios of the night in question. what brenda told police happened that night, what jonathan's sister says brenda told her, and what the p.i. says. the forensics reveal the results. >> the smoking gun is the gun. brenda had gun residue on both of her hands. >> when we come back. police suspect foul play. >> it became crystal clear that

the police thought this was a homicide. >> and i remember thinking, well, they'll arrest her then. >> but it' far from an open and shut case. that's next. >> here's the problem with your towels. they can carry harmful bacteria that may disrupt your skin's protective barrier. that's why i switched to clean towels. clean towels are one time use compostable face towels that are clinically shown to keep your skin barrier strong and healthy. in a recent clinical study, 100% of participants saw an improvement in their overall skin health. join over 1 million people and make the switch to clean towels today. >> many remedies you take for chest congestion only mask the symptoms. >> hey. >> how are you doing? this mucus won't move out. >> you're gonna love this property. >> the geisser congestion remedy. >> harmless. >> try this. mucinex 12 hour treats. the mucus that causes chest congestion for all day

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closed captioning and other considerations for true crime news provided by. >> i want. >> i know what i want. no one on. >> i spent. >> most of my life as a teacher and i've always enjoyed helping others. after a couple of years in retirement, i realized i have a lot more to give, and that's when i became a visiting angels caregiver. with my life experience and love for people, it was a natural fit. seeing jeannie so happy warms my heart.

and if you need your heart warmed to come, join us and make a difference together in someone's life. >> visiting angels. >> america's choice and home care. >> we're back with the mysterious death of jonathan crews. his family is convinced he was murdered by his girlfriend, brenda. but can they prove it? 27 year old jonathan crews is dead in his apartment from a single gunshot. his girlfriend, brenda lazzaro, tells police he shot himself distraught because she wanted to end the relationship. >> it's so beyond rational. >> but jonathan's father takes his personal suspicion to the couple. police department. the former trial attorney wants to know if police are investigating his son's death as a suicide or possible murder. >> looked the detectives in the eye and said, i need you to tell me your confidence level, that

she's the one who pulled the trigger. and he said in excess of 90%. >> backing that up the search warrant from the night of the shooting did list the case as a suspected murder. >> it became crystal clear that the police thought this was a homicide. >> and i remember thinking, well, they'll arrest her then. >> jonathan's family waits for police to make an arrest, but police never do. then the final finding from the coroner is a punch straight to the gut. jonathan's cause of death? undetermined. >> i'm not sure what happened exactly. i think there was some miscommunication with the medical examiner. >> meanwhile, the private investigator they've hired is hard at work piecing together what she believes really happened. based on the police investigation. >> it's the smoking gun. it's the angle of the shot. it's somebody standing over jonathan shooting him, trying to hit him in the heart and being swatted away. >> crime scene photos show

jonathan's hands were covered in bags to preserve evidence. the cruz family pie points to the results of the gunshot residue collected that tragic night from both jonathan and brenda. why didn't conduct the tests, but says what she read in police reports is baffling. >> there was no gun residue on jonathan's left hand. on the right hand, it's not even enough to raise eyebrows. brenda had gun residue on both of her hands. according to the record and her hoodie, or what she was wearing. >> and according to wysocky, there is something else that stands out. as seen in this animation reenactment of brenda's statement to police. >> we take the initial police report word for word, and make an animation to see if it's possible. >> on the night in question, brenda claimed that she was sitting at the foot of the bed and jonathan was in bed. >> the person that's going to

commit suicide generally doesn't dress for bed. get in, pull the covers up and shoot themselves. >> and there's the final resting position of the gun. >> when you shoot a gun, there's just a little kick. it doesn't neatly settle right next to your body, pointing at your toes. it's lined up. that doesn't happen. >> plus, there's where he was shot. >> the angle was right at his heart, and i believe she was shooting him in the heart because he broke her heart. after a long, painful investigation, the cruz family and the private investigator turn over their findings to police. yet no murder or other criminal charges were brought against brenda kelly. as of now, the police investigation remains inactive and the manner of death is still classified as undetermined by the medical examiner. >> we just want the truth to come out. we want jonathan's story to be the true story. when

you look at the facts, i honestly don't think that any rational person looking objectively as to what happened could reach any other conclusion. >> but armed with their own private investigator's findings, jonathan's family did file a civil wrongful death lawsuit against kelly, alleging she shot him out of jealousy over friendships with other women. at trial, a retired houston police detective testified that the evidence did not support a suicide. jonathan had a strained right shoulder at the time, making it difficult for him to position the gun to shoot himself in the left side of his chest, though the burden of proof is much lower than a criminal trial, the civil jury did find brenda liable for jonathan's death, awarding the family $206 million, though they have never received any payments. >> i don't think she cares. there's nothing i could say to her that would matter to her. she really doesn't care.

>> brenda's attorney brushed off the civil court verdict, saying that the burden of proof is low. brenda is now living in missouri with her husband and two children. she has denied all accusations against her and was never criminally charged. now we want to hear from you. do you believe that jonathan's death was a suicide? l et us know at true crime news.com. >> anyone home in huron? jean? more sympathy cards. your mom was well loved and so grateful to have you. i know, speaking of grateful, it's a check from united of omaha life insurance company. mom's life insurance, and my sister always looking out for her family. this check will help a lot. >> if you're age 45 to 85, you can't be turned down for up to $25,000 in life insurance from united of omaha. policy starts at just $6.38 a month. >> how did she qualify with these policies? health issues don't matter. >> there's no medical exam and

no health questions. policies start at just $6.38 a month. your rate is locked in for life. give your loved ones the protection they need to help pay for funeral and other final expenses. >> i guess i'll never stop learning from my big sister. >> don't put off life insurance. call united of omaha today. >> call

>> on the next true crime news. >> oh my god. >> a fire chief's wife mysteriously dies in a house fire. first responder on the scene. her devastated husband. >> i knew at that moment that they had found her. >> the shocking twist that proves this wasn't an accident. >> the coroner's office and our. >> pathologists here discovered a bullet hole. >> in her head. >> could a mystery man lurking outside her front gate days before this tragedy, hold the key to what happened on the next true crime news? become a true crime news insider visit true

crime news.com/safety for exclusive tips on safeguarding your loved ones from crime scams and traps. scan the qr code on your screen for essential items that keep you informed and protected. 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. that's it for today's true crime news. i'm anna garcia. see you next time, everyone. crime doesn' (suspenseful music) - in the middle of that charred area was a burnt up body in a trunk. (suspenseful music) - what was found around the body? - it was remnants of a hammer. (suspenseful music) plastic bag which had been over his head. (suspenseful music continues) - it was the hope that with that dental work that they'd actually be able to figure out who this person was. (suspenseful music)