Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Michigan Mom Calls in false bomb threats to Daughter's School Over Play | Crime Alert Recap Saturday
17 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Crime alert. Hourly update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Jackie Howard. Jail time and probation. That's what's ahead for a Michigan mom. Crystal Royster, 42, twice called in false bomb threats to her daughter's Detroit school after the girl wasn't allowed to take part in a school play.
Authorities say the daughter could not participate due to school policy after being sick and going home earlier that day. Over 700 people had to be evacuated from Lakeshore High School as St. Clair Shores Police and other jurisdictions rolled in to respond.
Chapter 2: What led a Michigan mom to call in false bomb threats to her daughter's school?
Charges of a false report or threat of a bomb is a four-year felony, and Royster pleaded guilty. She will serve probation for 18 months after spending 14 days in the Maycomb County Jail. As part of her probation, Royster is not allowed to contact the victims of the incident and must notify the school before heading onto the grounds. She also has to take part in a Class A impulse control classes.
More crime and justice news after this.
I'm Jennifer Gould. A teenage daycare worker entrusted with the lives of helpless infants transformed a Minnesota nursery into a personal death trap, intentionally suffocating babies just to satisfy a sick craving for attention. Thea Ludemia Russell, 18, was hauled off to jail after delivering a bone-chilling confession to cops.
She spent weeks smothering children until they turned quote-unquote white-purple and sprayed blood-tinged foam from their mouths, all so she could play hero when paramedics arrived. Here's Savage Police Chief Brady Jewell at the news conference.
This murder, an attempted murder of another child, deeply affected our community. This person should never ever again be free to harm another child.
The three-month investigation into the Rocking Horse Ranch child care in Savage, Minnesota, revealed that Russell's twisted bid for sympathy ended in the senseless murder of 11-month-old Harvey Mucklebust, who was slaughtered just five days before he was set to celebrate his first birthday.
The nightmare began on September 19, 2025, when Russell allegedly targeted a four-month-old girl twice in a single shift. During a routine burping session, the teen reportedly smothered the infant until the baby vomited a, quote, blood-like substance, end quote, and stopped breathing. Russell dialed 911, feeding off the emergency she had just manufactured.
Hours later, she did it again to the same child, but her bloodlust wasn't sated. On September 22nd, she cornered little Harvey in the infant room. She crushed that boy's chest and covered his face until he was unresponsive with blood pooling around his little nose.
Staff performed CPR, but Harvey was pronounced dead at the hospital, his tiny body unable to survive Russell's depraved quest for validation. An autopsy ruled out trauma or toxins, pointing investigators towards foul play. Chief Jewell branded the teen, quote, the common denominator in the carnage, end quote, uncovering a dark history of false 911 calls and fire setting at a church camp.
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Chapter 3: What were the consequences of the false bomb threats made by the mother?
If it weren't for them, I think I'd be dead.
But they saved my life. The circumstances surrounding the investigation are evident on the windshield of Booker's Chevy Spark. She witnessed the chilling murder of her husband, Rodriguez Poplar, on Friday morning.
Booker explained that as they noticed flashing lights ahead, an officer in the area on North Traverson Street, her husband suggested they pull into the driveway of a home and turn around as their headlight was broken and they were afraid of being ticketed. However, when they did so, the homeowner emerged from the house brandishing a firearm and demanding they leave immediately.
She said, in part, he pointed the gun at me. My husband got out to protect me, and that's when he shot my husband right in front of my eyes. The police, whom Booker hoped to evade, arrived within moments to make an arrest. The officers found the suspect, Tommy Applewhite, still in possession of the firearm he had used in the crime.
Applewhite is now facing multiple charges, including second degree murder. A review of court records revealed that Applewhite has a lengthy criminal history in Shelby County, Tennessee, dating back to 2001. His most serious offense occurred in 2007 when he shot a man twice. Applewhite ultimately pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to just three years in prison.
Further court documents indicate a series of other illegal issues related to drug and firearm charges. At the time of the 2026 shooting, Applewhite was reportedly on active probation after pleading guilty to a gun violation in 22. This according to records from the Tennessee Department of Corrections. For now, the woman is planning the funeral service of her husband and father of her children.
The suspect remains behind bars.
I'm Drew Nelson. A Milwaukee jury convicts a father of child neglect after prosecutors say he locked his six children inside a storage unit while he slept in a truck nearby. The verdict came late Wednesday after jurors deliberated for less than 90 minutes. They found Charles Dupree guilty of neglecting a child following a trial in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Dupree took the stand.
in his own defense and told jurors he and his partner were struggling with homelessness and they were relying on shelters and relatives. He described feeling overwhelmed and unable to provide.
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Chapter 4: How did a teenage daycare worker's actions lead to tragic consequences?
I was hurt, but at the same time, I needed the help.
DuPreece testified that on the night of September 15th, the family went to a storage facility.
We arrive at the storage unit. Asia goes in with the children. And 15 minutes later, I fall asleep. Next thing that I can remember is being woken up to the police knocking on my window.
Prosecutors showed jurors body camera video from the moment police cut the lock and opened the unit. Inside, six children, ranging in age from nine to just two months old, were found alone in the dark. Prosecutors said the children had no electricity, no running water, and used a bucket to do things that one would normally do in the bathroom.
They argued the parents had no other options that night. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Hassel told the jury the case was not about financial hardship.
These charges are not about poverty. They are about responsibility. And the evidence shows that these children did not have to be locked inside that storage unit that night.
Dupree remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Zielinski pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor counts of child neglect as part of a plea deal. Four felony counts against her were dropped, and she is set to be sentenced in March. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson.
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