you back here next time. >> i'm anna garcia right now on true crime news. a teen tricked into sending nude photos to a girl he met online. >> he was just. >> on a video game with friends at midnight, and by 1:40 a.m, he had taken his life. and his heartbroken parents can't believe it when they find out who the extortionist is. >> i grit my teeth so hard that i cracked my molars. >> a warning every parent needs to hear. plus, an aspiring actor and amateur boxer goes out for a

run. but there's trouble on the trail. >> he's just. >> frantic and he's like. >> you need to come get me right now. these guys are following me. >> his lifeless body found on the side of the road. >> what could the. >> motive possibly be to kill this guy? >> the secret that will shock everyone. >> that's some. >> freaky stuff. it really is. >> thanks for joining us. we begin with an alert everyone needs to hear. cybercrimes are at an all time high, and our first story should sound the alarm for all parents. the fbi warns that predators are increasingly targeting underage boys in sextortion schemes. imposters. tricking them into sending explicit photos and then blackmailing them. sadly, it's a nightmare that south carolina representative brandon guffey's family knows all too well. >> this was a note that. gavin wrote me. he was maybe 4 or 5.

>> a letter his son wrote when he was a little boy. family moments captured in a frame. these are the reminders brandon guffey keeps of his eldest son, gavin, nearby. >> this was. >> the. >> grave marker, the temporary grave marker that was on his grave. >> the south carolina state representative telling true crime news that he uses them as a reminder of a 17 year old life that ended too soon. >> i felt like gavin was living his best life. he had a little bit of the, you know, the 17 year old that's got girls chasing him. >> but when he attracted the attention of someone he met on social media, it turned out to be a ruse. gavin was being coerced into sending compromising photos by a criminal posing as a young woman. the imposter demanded money from gavin and threatened to expose him on social media if

he didn't pay up. >> i had a political event that i was at. i came in shortly after midnight. >> brandon didn't know his son was being threatened. he says when he arrived home, gavin was in his room playing video games. after finishing up some emails, brandon went to kiss his boys goodnight. >> we passed each other in the hallway. he starts to go into the bathroom and say, goodnight buddy, i love you and i continued on into the next room to go and kiss my four year old son. and as i leaned down to kiss him, i heard what sounded like a bowling ball falling crashing through shelves. i kicked in the door. gavin was laying in between the bath tub and the toilet. >> worried that his son had fallen and hurt himself. brandon would quickly learn it was so much worse. >> i smell gunpowder and there is a pistol laying beside of the bathroom toilet. >> gavin guffey, the 17 year old

recent high school graduate with long black hair and a beaming smile, died by suicide. >> and i had no clue why gavin took his life. none of us did. there was no signs. he was just on a video game with friends at midnight. and by 1:40 a.m, he had taken his life. and i started thinking, did i cause this? was he hurting? >> as the days went on, brandon learned that a young family member was also being harassed on social media. it turns out to be the same person who was harassing gavin using sextortion. >> i had no clue what sextortion was. >> the fbi defines sextortion as someone threatening to distribute private or sensitive materials if the victim does not provide money. and brandon would soon learn that his middle son was also getting messages. >> my 16 year old walks out of his room and he picks up his phone and he says, i don't know

who the hell you are, but quit calling. and he hangs up. and i said, who is that? he said, i don't know. somebody keeps calling me from instagram. >> the grieving father worked with the fbi to find the imposter, at times sending messages to the speaking to his son. >> but this message said, did i tell you your son begged for his life? with a laughing face emoji. and that infuriated me. >> the south carolina legislator worked to turn his anger and grief into action. passing gavin's law, which makes sextortion of minors an aggravated felony if it involves physical harm. the law also requires schools in the state to teach students about the crime and how to identify potential scammers. >> this is. the signing of gavin's law. >> a copy of gavin's law hangs in his office. the signed piece of legislation bearing the name of his son. but bringing justice to the person who allegedly victimized gavin would continue

to be a challenge. >> i was very naive to think that law enforcement would be able to bring the person that attacked gavin to justice, considering that it was in another country. >> the man who law enforcement says is behind the sextortion is from nigeria. and brandon realized the challenges they would face getting the subject to the u.s. he says he relied on his faith to keep hope alive. when suddenly. >> i got the first phone call that mr. lawal had been arrested. >> today, a nigerian national was arraigned in federal court here in columbia on five charges related to the sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of a south carolina teen. >> 24 year old hassan hussein lawal was arrested in nigeria and extradited to the united states. federal prosecutors say

he allegedly targeted gavin and his family and faces up to life in prison if convicted on extortion and other related charges. gavin's family were in court when he was arraigned. >> i grit my teeth so hard that i cracked my molars. and if it wasn't for my wife, just just filling that emptiness hit her and me feeling like i needed to comfort her. that's the only thing that calmed me down and made me focus on where i needed to be. >> brandon says his focus will now be keeping gavin close to his heart as he speaks out. to prevent this from happening to anyone else, including testifying before congress just last week about the dangers social media poses for minors. >> in july of 2022, i lost my oldest son, gavin, to suicide. i've witnessed over 40 teens take their lives since gavin just due to sextortion. big tech

is the big tobacco of this generation. justice to me is sending a message that if you attack a child in our country, we will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. and we will ensure that you spend the rest of your life behind bars. >> when we come back, an amateur boxer falls victim to a deadly attack. >> he said, these guys are here. i don't know what to do. re following me. >> but who would want him dead? >> hi, i'm ellen. i'm portia. we're talking to cameras. >> that. >> are in our living room about cain science. i used to think the more money i spent on my skincare, the more effective it would be. the better it would be, the better i'd look. but it's not true. with cain science, my skin. feels cleaner. it feels more hydrated. i notice

a difference in my skin. i notice a difference in yours. people see you and they make a big deal about your skin and it feels really good. and that's all thanks to kind science. tons of customers have seen results. the bags under her eyes. yeah, it looks smooth. yeah. smooth. smooth. well, who doesn't want smooth? who doesn't? so here's what i'm going to do. something i've never done before. i am going to give a kind science. generous deal. clever. yeah. because my name. i got it. yeah. okay. what are you offering? you'll get four of my favorite products. the gentle cleanser. the micro exfoliant, which i love. i use it as a mask. and then the firming serum. they're going to get that. i love the firming serum so much. because firms it up, firms it up. keep it firm. the hydration cream is amazing because it really does feel like your face just took a drink. >> of water. >> yes, but it does. yeah it does. it actually does. a clinical study of cain science users. 94% had less visible lines and wrinkles. that's so

great. well, because it's great product. so i'm also going to give some gifts. you know the brush that you love so much. yeah. so the brush, the radiance oil which is a really great product and free shipping. that's $200 worth of products for 49.95. this whole thing is under 50 bucks. yes, 49.95. that's amazing. really? i know. 60 day money back guarantee. you guys. >> this generous deal won't last forever. scan the code. go to kind science.com, or call (800) 417-9268 to order right now. >> i just want people to try cain science. >> on the next true crime news. a stranded mom disappears. did she know

now we turn to las vegas and the murder of josh dufort. the 23 year old went out for a jog one day and never came back. he tied his running shoes, put in his earbuds and went jogging on the trail. but he wasn't alone. and he said, these guys are here. >> from out of nowhere. evil emerged from the desert shadows. >> these guys are following me. >> beaten and strangled. >> he was so scared and so frantic. >> his body dumped by the side of the road. >> who would want josh. >> dufort killed? >> was josh dufort the victim of

a random attack, or was josh worth more dead than alive? >> it's too many coincidences. >> police haven't solved the case, but someone in the vegas area may know what happened to josh dufort. josh grew up in the small town of dansville, michigan. he packed up and left for the bright lights of las vegas to become an actor. >> hi, my name is joshua dufort. >> josh met his close friend nicholas gaetano's in acting class. >> josh was a really, really great and passionate guy. he was always there for his friends. and the girl who worked at the local bakery was smitten. so much so that shannon lutes fell in love and moved in with josh. >> we were very quickly, completely inseparable. our lives fuzed together. i moved out of the house, moved in with him, and we were together 24 seven. >> but there was something else that ignited josh's passions.

josh became fast friends with a lightweight champion named don juan futrell. yes, that's his name. don juan. >> he came in and was a sort of mentor and helpful wing for josh, and was seemingly a really great influence from what josh thought of him. he saw someone who was like a big brother and was trying to help him, but it would never pan out. they would be supposed to have lunch. it's supposed to work out together, supposed to have a little meeting, talk about their goals, and don juan would cancel on him. >> one of those goals, shannon says, was to make bank selling t-shirts on the vegas strip. >> they just one day had an idea putting clever or cool looking designs on t shirts. don juan said, okay, come over, jog over, we're going to work out, and then we're going to talk about this t shirt business. and they never got to speak about it. >> josh's acting coach, sherry flattery, says she got suspicious. one night, when josh

told her that he was going to jog over to don juan's house, nestled in a gated community on a golf course. >> i think we pecked each other aggressively on the cheek, and it was a see you later. and that was the last we spoke. >> shortly after, shannon says on the way to don juan's, josh left her a terrifying voicemail. >> and he said, these guys are here. i don't know what to do. i don't know how to get into the gate. they're following me. he's on the corner of eastern and pecos ridge and that he's just frantic and he's like, you need to come get me right now. these guys are following me, and he repeats it several times and then times and the phone cuts out. >> but who were they? henderson, nevada police say josh was attacked. his lifeless body discovered at sunrise the next morning. >> it's a jogger who basically. finds joshua. >> fought on. >> the side. >> of this road. >> beaten and strangled. >> to death. >> he may have died that morning or. >> the night before. >> as detectives retrace josh's

last steps and talk to his friends, the trail leads them in a direction no one saw coming. coming up, investigators hone in on a motive for murder. >> there's a bizarre twist. >> but will t t be ugh to get justice for josh? that's next. >> attention medicare beneficiaries. if you have or are eligible for medicaid, please listen closely. you may be eligible for medicare advantage plan from wellcare with a $0 or low monthly plan premium call. now we can answer your questions and help you enroll over the phone. wellcare provides access to essential benefits that go beyond original medicare, such as dental, vision, hearing, and $0 or low prescription drug co-pays with free home delivery. free over-the-counter health care items, free fitness benefits, well cares telehealth services including online doctor visits, 12 digital mental health and social support resource, plus

extra benefits including the wellcare spendable debit card, which you can use for over-the-counter health items. wellcare has contracted with medicare to provide plans that may be right for you. call (877) 870-2334. now that's (877) 870-2334. >> if there's a true crime you think we should know abo , call the ue

closed captioning and other considerations for true crime news provided by. >> every parent knows when it's. >> time to go into. >> protect mode. kill 99.9% of bacteria when you add lysol laundry sanitizer to your laundry routine. >> i'm aches and i'm pain. >> and we keep you up at night

because. >> we're aches. >> and pains. you think you're sore in the morning because of your age. you don't hurt cause you're old. you hurt because your mattress stinks. which makes our job a lot easier. oh, that's gonna hurt in the morning. purple is proven to. >> help you rise. >> refreshed. >> which is. >> awful for us. it's very good news for you. >> et up to $900 off a mattress and base during our president's day sales event. visit purple.com or a store near you. >> we're back with the murder of josh dufort. the amateur boxer was violently killed while out for a run. but who would want him dead and why? that's what cops are trying to find out. las vegas a sunny place that can attract shady people. but josh dufort wasn't one of them. so says his girlfriend, shannon lutz. >> he was everybody's hero. josh is indestructible. >> but sometimes an indestructible hero can fall victim to evil. josh was beaten,

strangled, murdered, his body dumped beside the road in the las vegas suburb of henderson. >> i stood by the casket almost the entire time, just looking at him. i just didn't want him to go away. there is not a day that's gone by that i don't think about him, that i don't miss his smile and his jokes. >> josh's close friend nicholas gaetano's wonders, why would anyone want to kill this aspiring actor with a baby face? >> like, what could the motive possibly be to kill this guy? >> the motive could be money. a lot of it. apparently, josh was well insured with what he thought was a health insurance policy. turns out it was life insurance worth a whopping $1.75 million. and who paid for it? his mentor and friend, boxer don

juan futrell, who also named himself the beneficiary. >> that's some freaky stuff. it really is. >> josh's acting coach, sherry flattery, thought the whole thing was odd. >> i just thought it was very. >> odd for somebody who only. >> knew josh for less than eight months. i thought that. was a bit strange. >> the day after josh's body was found on this busy road, cops searched don juan's house. in the search warrant, it says they seized miscellaneous life insurance paperwork back during the initial investigation, henderson police said don juan was in their sights. >> don juan futrell is still considered our prime suspect. in this case. >> the two insurance companies denied don juan's claim for the payout. one company took him to federal court and he countersued, and a shocker was revealed in court papers. >> on the application. there's a bizarre twist. josh hart 4-2 and don juan are listed as domestic

partners, but neither one was in a relationship with the other one. aside from a friendship. >> in the deposition, an attorney asked don juan to explain, when i if i say the words domestic partner, what does that mean to you? domestic partner mean like married or something, i don't know. do you think domestic partners would be gay or straight? i think if you live together, it's domestic. okay. even if even if it's not romantic. yes. whoever filled out the application claimed that josh made $180,000 as we follow some breaking news in the east bay that is having some major traffic impacts. the chp is investigating a possible freeway shooting that has

completely shut down highway 24 in the eastbound direction in oakland, just west of broadway. skyfox is live overhead. this scene, as you can see, all lanes west of the broadway exit, are completely shut down. we want to go live now to ktvu henry lee, who is actually stuck in that miles long backup on the >> well, greg, we made it to the front of this traffic jam again. we are on eastbound 24 highway 24 in oakland, just west of the broadway offramp. take a look behind me. it is just no vehicles at all at chp. oakland has blocked off all lanes while they investigate an apparent car to car shooting. there's no word at this point as far as the extent of any injuries in this shooting. we do believe the suspect vehicle is no longer here, and i'll ask tony to pan behind us, take a look at all the vehicle, the all the cars and motorcycles that are stuck in this on the freeway here on eastbound 24. westbound 24 is okay, but if you are trying to

get to contra costa county, you might want to take alternate routes such as interstate 580, perhaps northbound highway 13, which itself is getting to be backed up, or maybe even highway four. although i did hear from chp oakland that they might be reopening the freeway in a few minutes. but again, that takes time. they might either take us off broadway or reverse us to claremont. but again, right now the headlines are apparent. car-to-car shooting on eastbound highway 24 reported at about 1230 1245. the freeway has been shut down in the eastbound direction just west of broadway in oakland. that is the latest in oakland. henry lee, ktvu, fox two news. >> henry, you got to that scene about half an hour ago. can you speak to perhaps how far back that traffic went as you tried to make your way to the front of that scene there? >> yeah, the traffic was slowing all the way back to 51st street in north oakland. but at this point, i'm not sure if chp oakland has indeed taken the traffic off of claremont or earlier. that's what they typically do, so that the backup doesn't get far worse. but

again, traffic at a complete standstill at this time as they try to figure out what happens. typically after a freeway shooting, they will close all lanes to look for any bullet casings to look for any evidence of that nature. this investigation will be headed by the investigative services unit, headquartered in vallejo, with the cooperation of chp oakland. >> okay, our henry lee live in that traffic jam on highway 24 eastbound. henry. thank you. if we can take that chopper shot once again, i want to show you some of the focus has been on a white car. you see there that it looks like that tow truck is preparing to take away. you can see that back window there as well as we saw an airbag deployed, as well as some front damage to that car. unclear if that vehicle was involved in this potential freeway shooting, but certainly a lot of focus has been on this white car. we have seen detectives combing that highway 24 freeway looking for any evidence, picking up items in brown bags as well, even a jacket they were inspecting. again, chp investigating a possible freeway shooting on highway 24 eastbound. all lanes

are shut down right now west of that broadway exit. chp released a sig alert, not saying how long it could be before those lanes reopened, but certainly as we get further into the afternoon, there could create some major traffic issues. as we approach the commute hour. we will continue to follow this breaking news story on the air online as well as the fox local app. stay with ktvu and we will keep you informed. that's it for the newsroom. we'll bel be

>> on the next true crime news. a north carolina mom's desperate call to nine 1-1. >> i don't know where i am in greensboro. >> confused and disoriented. did she know the mystery man who offered her a ride before she disappeared? >> why didn't he bring her home? >> and could this be the same person that had been recently stalking her? her mom investigates and makes a terrifying discovery. >> i have followed him. that's why i think trafficking. maybe something. >> on the next true crime news.

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 andy garcia. s you next ti (tense music) - how did this murder case begin? - he disappeared late evening. (air whooshes) (static crackling) (air whooshes) the next morning when she got up, he wasn't in the trailer. it was frustrating 'cause we had no evidence of any type of crime. we had nothing, just a missing person. (camera shutter clicking) - they called 911 to report the body that they had found. (camera shutter clicking) just the initial observation of his body,