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

PHOTOS: Remains of woman discovered inside attic walls identified as homeowner who opposed developers building a complex near her residence

 PHOTOS: Remains of woman discovered inside attic walls identified as homeowner who opposed developers building a complex near her residence
Unsolved

Houston authorities released images this week of the remains of a woman found inside her home last year, identified as the previous homeowner who opposed developers building a large apartment complex by her residence. As CrimeOnline previously reported, new homeowners found the remains of the previous homeowner, 61-year-old Mary Cerruti, behind the boards in the …

‘I’d rather be deported than go to jail’: Unlicensed daycare worker breaks baby boy’s legs after slamming him down feet-first: Police
Child Abuse
March 1, 2018

‘I’d rather be deported than go to jail’: Unlicensed daycare worker breaks baby boy’s legs after slamming him down feet-first: Police

An unlicensed Utah daycare worker is facing felony child abuse charges after she reportedly slammed an infant down so severely that she broke his legs. FOX News reports 66-year-old Elvira Ortega, who ran an unlicensed daycare in Salt Lake City, allegedly admitted to police that she slammed the baby feet-first onto a hard bathroom floor while …

Five parks searched, still no sign of missing little boy: Where is Lucas Hernandez?
Missing
February 28, 2018

Five parks searched, still no sign of missing little boy: Where is Lucas Hernandez?

Kansas authorities and volunteers have now search five parks in the Wichita area, in hopes of finding any clues that would lead to the whereabout of missing boy, Lucas Hernandez, but nothing has surfaced. On Tuesday evening, authorities, acting on a tip, searched a disturbed rock pile at Chapin Park. They later reported that nothing connected …

Cherish Perrywinkle Update: Tensions run high as humanitarian wants convicted child killer’s death sentence overturned
Murder
February 25, 2018

Cherish Perrywinkle Update: Tensions run high as humanitarian wants convicted child killer’s death sentence overturned

The Florida man who raped, beat, and killed 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle was sentenced to death by a Jacksonville jury last week, but the sentence resulted in clashing opinions and heated debates as the little girl’s mother, Rayne Perrywinkle, went head-to-head with a writer staunchly opposed to the death penalty. Three days after 61-year-old Donald Smith …

Little girl pretends to be asleep as dad kills family, then himself: Police
Family Crime
February 25, 2018

Little girl pretends to be asleep as dad kills family, then himself: Police

A 4-year-old Missouri girl told police she pretended to be asleep while her own father killed her family and then himself, but authorities can’t figure out why the tragedy happened to begin with. FOX News reports that Dornubari Dugbor, 31, called 911 on Thursday night and said police would soon find three dead people inside a Bellefontaine …

‘He’s going to explode’: Tipster sent desperate warnings to FBI about Nikolas Cruz WEEKS before Florida high shooting
Violent Crime
February 23, 2018

‘He’s going to explode’: Tipster sent desperate warnings to FBI about Nikolas Cruz WEEKS before Florida high shooting

New records obtained by The Wall Street Journal show that a tipster called in warnings about accused Florida high school shooter, Nikolas Cruz, weeks before he reportedly opened fire at a Parkland high school on February 14, killing 17 people. “Something is going to happen. Because he’s, he doesn’t have the mental capacity. He can’t, …

Lucas Hernandez Update: Photos show bruises across missing boy’s face, back, arms; police say it’s now a criminal investigation
Missing
February 22, 2018

Lucas Hernandez Update: Photos show bruises across missing boy’s face, back, arms; police say it’s now a criminal investigation

While a missing 5-year-old Kansas boy’s father wants the focus stay on finding the child, photos released show what looks like a history of abuse, with bruises across the boy’s face, back and arms. Sally Rasmussen, the great-aunt of Lucas Hernandez, shared photos of the boy with local station, KAKE. The disturbing pictures, taken in …