Leigh Egan

Leigh Egan is a crime-fighting journalist and editor who specializes in breaking news and investigative true crime coverage. With more than a decade of experience under her belt, Leigh’s work can be found in a number of high-profile national publications. For Leigh, learning didn’t stop after college. She considers herself a lifelong learner who frequently takes media and journalism courses to keep abreast of the latest happenings and innovations in her field. Tips: legan@crimeonline.com

‘Evil stepmom’ allegedly rips stepdaughter’s hair out & forces her to eat her own vomit; threatens girl’s siblings to keep quiet [Police]

 ‘Evil stepmom’ allegedly rips stepdaughter’s hair out & forces her to eat her own vomit; threatens girl’s siblings to keep quiet [Police]
Child Abuse

An Arizona woman is behind bars facing numerous charges after she allegedly abused her 10-year-old stepdaughter, then threatened the other children into lying to police. AZfamily.com reports that 36-year-old Erin Darr was arrested Thursday night after her stepdaughter’s classmates reported bruises spotted on the little girl’s body. Afterward, the little girl described her horrifying living conditions …

Bodies found identified as two missing boys, who mysteriously vanished after getting beat up on Snapchat: Police
Juveniles
December 31, 2018

Bodies found identified as two missing boys, who mysteriously vanished after getting beat up on Snapchat: Police

Two New Mexico boys reported missing two weeks ago were found deceased on Monday, according to the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. The Albuquerque Journal reports that authorities found 15-year-old Collin Romero and 14-year-old Ahmed Lateef buried west of Rio Rancho, although authorities are not disclosing the exact location. According to the spokesperson for the Sandoval County …

Little boy, 5, shoots himself in the face at Wendy’s restaurant: Police
Juveniles
December 31, 2018

Little boy, 5, shoots himself in the face at Wendy’s restaurant: Police

A 5-year-old is in critical condition after shooting himself in the face while inside his parents’ car at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant in North Carolina on Sunday. WGN9 reports that the little boy was seated in booster seat in the backseat of the vehicle on Sunday afternoon, as his mother pulled through the Wendy’s …

Police say baby may have drowned in bathtub while mom was distracted by Facebook: Report
child endangerment
December 31, 2018

Police say baby may have drowned in bathtub while mom was distracted by Facebook: Report

A British mother was arrested on Saturday in Tel Aviv for allegedly checking Facebook while her baby girl drowned in the bathtub, police say. The Mirror reports that Tel Aviv authorities arrested 23-year-old Kayla Lynton in connection with the death of her 6-month-old girl, Naomi, who drowned in a bathtub in  July. A source close …

Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper is living by an elementary school after early prison release: Report
Sex Offenders
December 29, 2018

Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper is living by an elementary school after early prison release: Report

Wanda Barzee, a registered sex offender convicted of participating in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart in 2002, is apparently living in a dilapidated home in Utah following her early prison release, only blocks from an elementary school. According to the Utah Department of Corrections’ sex offender registry, 73-year-old Barzee is living less than a mile …

Casey Anthony’s dad sustained severe nerve and spinal cord damage in car wreck, may never be the same again: Report
Celebrity Justice
December 29, 2018

Casey Anthony’s dad sustained severe nerve and spinal cord damage in car wreck, may never be the same again: Report

George Anthony, father of notorious killer, Casey Anthony, was released from the hospital on Thursday following a fiery one-person car crash in November, and an insider says the near-fatal crash left him with injuries that could possibly be permanent. People reports that a source close to the Anthony family revealed that the 67-year-old may not …

Dad accused of using waterboarding torture technique on little girl retains visitation rights to her from jail: Report
Child Abuse
December 28, 2018

Dad accused of using waterboarding torture technique on little girl retains visitation rights to her from jail: Report

As a Utah couple remains behind bars on charges of child abuse stemming from an alleged waterboarding incident earlier this month, the father has reportedly retained visitation rights to a little girl he’s accused of abusing. The Daily Herald reports that Joseph Mitchell, 29, and Ilaria Mitchell, 28, are facing four child abuses charges after …

Unsealed Docs: Little girl facing homicide charge left shoe patterns on baby’s head, fractured his skull after stomping him to death at daycare [Update]
Juveniles
December 27, 2018

Unsealed Docs: Little girl facing homicide charge left shoe patterns on baby’s head, fractured his skull after stomping him to death at daycare [Update]

New details have emerged in the case of a 10-year-old Wisconsin girl accused of stomping a baby to death inside a Wisconsin daycare last month. Court documents, unsealed by a Dunn County judge who took over the case, provide grim specifics of the infant boy’s last hours of life. Chippewa County Judge James Isaacson was …