be the only dish that nobody tries, right. but it doesn't matter how much you like somebody. no no, it is something new, like, uh, mr p said here if it's something new, and i don't know what's in it. no i'm already picky. so it's like, and i can look at something i got like this thing this power where i can look at it, and i know if i like not just by looking at it, if you and then if you don't like it, and you find out what's in it. oh, my gosh. all right, we gotta wrap up the show like it or not. send us your questi s here.e. e.e.e. i'm anna garcia right now on true crime news. an influencer with big dreams of becoming a reality star disappears. >> people either loved or hated, and she enjoyed that. >> and a tiktok campaign to find her goes viral. >> something bad has happened to her. if anybody knows anything, message me, let me know.

>> but the investigation will lead to a startling discovery hundreds of miles from where she lived. and her family thinks police have it all wrong. plus, a mom of three is gunned down outside of her dream job. but who would want her dead? >> everyone's a suspect. >> surveillance video captures a man on the run, and it's the last person you'd expect to be an assassin until his violent past is exposed. >> he was trying to kill a mother and her two children. >> thanks for joining us. we begin with a story making headlines right now. reina dunlap was an influencer who loved to be the center of attention. but then she would tragically go viral for all the wrong reasons. >> i like when you guys. >> come up to me and say that you follow me. it makes me feel famous. >> a social media influencer with striking looks and a vibrant personality.

>> she's lit up any room she came into. >> karen reina dunlap built a large following online. she had over 80,000 followers on x, formerly twitter, and another 17,000 on instagram. >> she liked pressing buttons and pushing folks. and you know, she used to call herself kind of like a shock jock or queen of chaos. >> the 30 year old kept her audience engaged, sometimes posting on x up to 50 times a day. >> she was controversial, and she and she enjoyed that. >> a resident of college park, maryland, reina was close to her younger sister. >> we used to go to the movies often. it was like one of the most favorite things she liked to do. that was one of my most fondest recent memories i've had of her. >> now her family clings to those memories. the last time they heard from reina was just before the holidays. >> i got a voice message from her on november the 9th, and it wasn't from her number. and so

when i called back, i didn't get any answer. >> at the time. they had no cause for alarm. >> she was just, you know, disappear for months, and then she would pop up again and disappear for months and pop up again. >> but as the weeks passed without any contact, they became concerned. >> i just thought it was odd that she hadn't reached out. like she didn't call anybody on christmas. she didn't call anybody on my mom's birthday, just a few days after christmas. >> nearly three weeks after reina's last tweet, her sister kiera turned to tiktok. >> hi everyone. so this is a tiktok call to action. tiktok call to help. i think something really bad happened to my sister. her name is reina. i'm just looking for anybody that has been in contact with her, or that has heard from her in the past month. >> tips poured in. tiktokers reported seeing reina 400 miles

away in cleveland, ohio. then a big break would come through the same site. someone tipped the family about an unidentified body matching reina's description. shockingly, it was found in an abandoned house in cleveland. but why would she be in the midwest? kira had an idea she was pursuing a dream of reality tv fame. >> this is why she was in cleveland. daddy midwest was filming in cleveland when she was following where the baddies were, because she wanted to try to get on the show. >> streaming channel zeus network, where baddies airs, issued a statement to true crime news saying in part, this young lady's death is not affiliated with the network. she was not cast in the series, and the network did not meet with her. family members traveled to the house where reina's body was found. they gave us exclusive photos and video from the scene. >> on january the 16th, someone

discovered her in a far back room and she was there with just her a sweatshirt, a t shirt and pants. no socks, no shoes, and someone alerted a neighbor and the neighbor alerted police. >> outside, a teddy bear and flowers in the snow. inside, broken furniture and trash. according to the police report, a dead body was found clothed in a bed upstairs. there were needles and drugs on a nearby dresser and they saw no signs of foul play. >> the police never called me. the emmy called me to tell me that my daughter's body had been found, and to please make arrangements to come get her. i was in shock and my next question was, are you sure it's her? and they said they identified her by her fingerprints. >> the toxicology report is still pending, but reina's heartbroken family is adamant.

they say she never used hard drugs and feel she met foul play. >> there was nothing, no drug paraphernalia on her body, around her body in the immediate area. no residue on her body, no track marks, no needle marks, nothing. >> family members noticed blood on her clothes. >> she had on this very dirty, oversize sweatshirt that had blood stained on the front. and underneath that she had an extra large calvin klein t shirt that had a concentrated amount of blood. >> as they wait for answers, the family hopes police will solve the mystery of what happened to reina dunlap, the young woman whose dream of stardom was suddenly cut short. >> she was a big sister that anybody would have hoped for. i really miss her a lot. mom is murdered.back, a single >> she was shot multiple times.

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we turn now to the unsolved murder of a single mom mom of three in virginia. police think they know who is responsible. there's just one problem. they

have no idea where he is, and they need your help tracking him down. >> she was always laughing. her laugh was electrifying. >> single mother of three janina jefferson, a larger than life personality from big stone gap. >> janina would tell you the truth. no matter what, if you didn't like it, well, that's just too bad. she shot from the hip. she didn't play games. she would tell you she loved you at the end of it. >> the 38 year old was a jack of all trades, working at the water treatment plant in appalachia, virginia. >> this was a job that she had wanted for a long time. >> and there was her creative side painting store windows. >> i love art, i always have. >> and operating a glass design business. it all provided a good life for her two suns and daughter. >> everything that she did was centered around those children. >> then janina met eric jones. >> i remember her being really excited and telling me that she

had something going on, and i begged her to tell me what it was and she said, no, i'll tell you if it works out. >> jones came from one of the town's well known and respected families. >> his mom is a wonderful woman, very sincere, a godly woman. >> before long, janina and eric were head over heels. >> they were always laughing and cutting up and the way they looked at each other. janina really loved him and i really feel like he loved her. he was so caring toward her and so sweet. >> and eric was going to be the new man of the house after their lavish wedding. >> oh my gosh, it was packed. who wasn't at the wedding? it was absolutely beautiful. >> but just three years later, the marriage was imploding and janina, seemingly perfect life hit a tragic ending thanksgiving weekend at the water treatment plant around 2 a.m, police are called in to do a welfare check on janina, who was working the late shift that night.

investigators arrived to a shocking scene. janina is lying on the cold gravel driveway, murdered. >> she was shot multiple times. >> with no video surveillance at the water treatment plant. cops start at square one. >> everyone's a suspect. but we went where the evidence led us to, and that led us back to eric. >> eric jones, her ex-husband. but could it be he was the son of a pastor, a second father to janina's three kids? now he faced serious questions. >> i couldn't place him in the area prior to the murder and also after the murder. >> there is some video of him at a local convenience store. sho's eric jones. walk in and get a six pack of beer out of the cooler. another small item and pay for it, and then leave the store. >> cops soon discover eric jones was a wolf in sheep's clothing,

with a rap sheet a mile long, something janina had learned too. >> she told me the story, but she also told me things are different now. let's give him a chance. you got to give him a chance. and i thought, okay, if you're going to, so am i. >> but eric's history of crimes was deadly serious. >> attempted murder for hire. he was trying to kill a mother and her two children. >> the intended target, karen martin, a woman he was hired to murder. >> he was friends with my cousins. and, you know, i hung around them. >> karen says. one night, she and her two kids woke to an inferno. >> i called 911 and told them. i said, at my house is on fire. >> wise county sheriff investigator charles curry was one of the first on the scene. >> we made entry through the front door. we could hear screams in the back of myself and this other officer. we made our way to the back bedroom and that's where we found all three

occupants. when you have kids involved and you have kids of your own, you can relate some things you just don't shake off. >> investigators smell gasoline inside the home and find spent matches outside on karen's car, which had also been doused with accelerant. >> it was determined that there was two individuals who were paid with crack cocaine to burn that residence. with those three people in it. eric jones was one of the suspects involved. eric was not arrested immediately because he went on the run. >> two months later, eric jones luck came to a screeching halt when he was pulled over on a traffic violation in texas, some 1300 miles away. wise county assistant sheriff grant kilgore spent four days in a car with eric, transporting him back to virginia. >> he said very little. he slept most of the time. he seemed very unconcerned about the charges he was facing. >> eric jones was indicted on

seven felony charges, including three counts of attempted capital murder for hire. he eventually pleaded guilty to two felony charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. he served five. >> his mother had told me that he was sorry for what he did, but he never personally told me. it's something that i'll never forget. >> janina looked past eric's criminal history. she loved him and believed he'd changed in the 15 years since he'd committed that violent crime. >> like if you had to write down things in a and check them off about somebody being reformed or whatever, he fits that. he did a lot of things for the community, a lot of things at church. >> but two years after they met, the cracks in the foundation appeared. april says it started at a 4th of july party. >> she said that eric had shot a gun off at at the block party. and, you know, he wasn't

supposed to have a gun. so she was really upset about it. and then the next thing i know, she's just she's crying every day and saying, all right, that's it. i can't i can't do it anymore. >> court records suggest janina was stuck in a terribly violent domestic situation. she finally filed for divorce, and the day it was finalized. >> she told me that. and he came to the water plant, and she said things just got out of hand and that she felt like she needed to get a restraining order. >> eric jones was arrested for strangulation and trespassing, but a judge let him out on bail. >> she said, i'm really scared. i said to her, janina, don't worry, it's going to be okay. >> tragically, nothing would be okay now. janina is dead and eric jones once again had completely disappeared. coming up, the search for eric jones goes cold and the u.s. marshals take up the case, and they're offering a big reward.

>> we're looking for justice for jana janina's family. >> can you help catch this wanted man? >> we need your help. go online. call or scan this code to support wwf's global conservation efforts by symbolically adopting an elephant for only $16 a month, it's just $0.53 a day to protect wildlife and their habitats. do it in the next five minutes and you'll get this free adoption kit with this plush keepsake. go

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on your body with long lasting cologne quality sce s. men are loe touchless way to apply whole body deodorant anywhere. >> for the best deals, go to shop.com. >> we're back with the murder of janina jefferson and the search for erik jones, the man investigators believe is responsible for her death. now, federal agents need your help trying to find him. and there's a $15,000 reward on line. erik jones is on the run, fleeing appalachia. virginia. >> he's a monster in my eyes. >> and hiding out after allegedly gunning down his ex-wife, janina jefferson. the heinous crime occurred outside her job at the water treatment plant. >> we have evidence we feel is overwhelming evidence against erik. >> at first, cops searched the secluded area surrounding the water plant. >> we did ground searches, vehicle searches. then we actually brought in choppers on three different occasions. and then a specially equipped airplane that has some of the

most sensitive photography available. flew all those areas that we possibly could with that device. there was no indication that erik was in any of those areas where there was a body or, you know, they're hiding out in a cabin or tent. >> there's no sign of the wanted man anywhere. and shockingly, police would never find erik jones. now, with the trail completely cold, the u.s. marshals service has joined the search. eight years after the murder, telling true crime news. >> we're looking for justice for janina janina's family. we're looking to close the loop on a community that was really affected by this. and i hope it gets harder for him to stay on the run. >> investigators say after all this time, they need the public's help. while jones's physical appearance is likely changed, they believe he's still probably the same old erik. >> he might look a little different at this point. maybe he's grown in facial hair. maybe he he grew his hair out. some of the things that he does love are

the dallas cowboys. he loves fireworks. he actually watches fireworks on youtube. and he did like women. he had a lot of different girlfriends at the time. >> jones left janina's eldest son, trey, and his siblings to pick up the heartbreaking pieces. >> i don't know, i, i do have closure. i don't let it eat at me every day just because i know that she's in a better place. i don't want to say that i'm looking forward to being there, but i just knowing that my mom's watching me, maybe not necessarily from the heavens. maybe she's in a waiting room, but i know she's watching me. >> janina's friend april will never lose the shock that her friend is gone. >> sometimes it's just hard to breathe. this really happened. >> she's haunted by the advice she gave her. >> telling her, hey, don't worry. it's going to be okay. and gosh, that's the hardest

thing for me. every day. i just, i think, why did i say that to her? why did i say it was going to be okay? because obviously it wasn't okay. >> u.s. marshals are hoping a reward will help them finally catch janina, jefferson's husband and alleged killer. >> we have a $15,000 reward out for erik jones. really important that we get that out there. we don't want him doing this again to anybody else. >> if you have any information on the whereabouts of erik jones, you can contact the u.s. marshals service at u.s. marshals.gov/tips. or you can call our tip linet (888) 845-7555. we'll be right back. >> 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 your

9-8 of omaha life insurance company. mom's life insurance. 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. >> c

>> on the next true crime news, a deadly valentine's date. >> he's been what? >> he's been shot. >> through the abdomen. and one to the chest and then two to the

face. >> investigators believe this was not random. >> do you have anything to do with what happened to richard? no. >> a secret love affair, mysterious tire marks and some very suspicious emails. >> really kind of solidified that. this was the third part of the triangle. >> this trail leads cops to the last person anyone suspects on the next true crime news. become a true crime news. insider visit true crime news.com/safety deals to buy exclusive products that can help safeguard your loved ones. according to the fbi, residences without security systems are 300% more likely to be targeted. protect your family with guard dog security. the 20 gauge steel door jammer prevents forced entry. its adjustable system slides to fit most standard sized doors, while the portable block lock offers extra security. designed for travelers, renters, even college students stay safe and secure with the guard dog security door safety bundle. scan the qr code

or visit. true crime news.com/safety deals to get these products. now for the latest breaking crime news go to true crime news.com. watch more exclusive content 24 over seven on our youtube channel. follow us at my true crime news. you can also listen to our podcast. brand new episodes drop every week and sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss a thing. that's it for today's true crime news, i'm anna garcia. see you next time, (tense music) - [nancy] a young mother ringing in the new year became the victim of a rage-fueled crime of passion. - she'd been out reveling since it was new year's. - [nancy] detectives believed shortly after, she had crossed paths with her killer. - [daniel] and then came across this individual that then made her last moments a hell. - they found her purse about a mile away. there were exes that were looked at. - they had just broken up. it was a pretty volatile relationship.