Dateline NBC
A Utah grief author's murder trial. Eyewitness drama in Florida. Plus, Nancy Guthrie and Olivia Lone Bear.
26 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, it's Kate Snow, NBC News anchor, host of the podcast The Drink with Kate Snow. I sit down with all kinds of celebrities, musicians, athletes over a drink of their choice for candid conversations about how they made it there. With actor-comedian host Joel McHale, I could barely stop laughing. You know Joel from Community or The Soup, his new show Animal Control.
He asked for four bottles of Washington State wine for our interview. He has news about whether there's a Community movie coming. He tells the story of how he got one of his first big acting gigs by lying about his height. And you have to stay through the credits. He's so funny. We have behind the scenes bloopers and outtakes from our conversation.
Hope you'll listen and follow The Drink wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey, everyone. Craig Melvin here from today. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are finally here. And as we gear up for the games, the Today Show is celebrating the athletes who define what it means to push for greatness on our podcast series, The Road to Milan.
NBC News correspondent Stephanie Goss sits down with athletes at every step of the Olympic journey, from seasoned veterans like Lindsey Vonn and Michaela Schifrin to newcomers like Isabel Levito and Jordan Stolz, who are stepping onto the world stage for the first time ever. It's a great way to get to know the athletes who are about to give it their all as the world watches.
Listen on the Today Podcast feed or search The Road to Milan wherever you get your podcasts.
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Chapter 2: What is the case against Kouri Richens in her husband's murder trial?
Because of his age and failing memory, the jury watched a video recording of his testimony instead. Here to walk us through what happened and how the defense is pushing back on all of this is Dateline producer Jay Young, who has been in the courtroom. Jay, thanks for being here. Thanks for having me, Andrea.
So, Jay, we should just start this off by saying that Rashawn Jones has pleaded not guilty. He says he was never jealous of Brian, certainly not jealous enough to kill him. What evidence has the prosecution presented so far to try to prove Jones's state of mind at the time of the murder? Well, prosecutors are saying that Rashawn was both envious and jealous of Brian.
Brian was a shooting star at the time of the murder. He had everything going for him. He was a huge talent on the football field, destined for the NFL. Rashawn, on the other hand, was suspended right before the murder for having tested positive for marijuana use. So yeah, his future wasn't nearly as bright as Brian's was. And then there was Brian's girlfriend, Jada Brody.
Apparently, she had had a relationship with Rashawn before she met Brian. Prosecutors have been trying to hammer home that that too was a source of tension. And then prosecutors have spent a lot of time presenting evidence of a fight between Rashawn and Brian two years before the murder. Brian punched Rashawn and Rashawn responded, you better clip up.
Which Brian understood to mean, you better get your guns. Did anything happen closer to the time of the murder? Well, that's interesting. You know, not really. Except for this. Once it was announced that Brian was shot and killed, the team gathered. And it was, according to some, a mandatory meeting. The only person not there? Rashawn Jones.
So beyond this idea that Rashawn may have been jealous of Brian, is there any physical evidence connecting him to the crime? The answer to that question is no, not really. I mean, there were no shell casings found at the crime scene.
What they did know, there was close to his body. You could see his keys were left at the crime scene. Also, there was roughly $900 in his wallet.
So they did know that it likely was not a robbery. But beyond that— Yeah, that's a lot of money. That's a lot of money. Finally, the state presented cell phone tower evidence that put Rashawn very close to the crime scene at the time of the murder. Now, the defense is going to argue, well, that Rashawn lived close to the crime scene. Yeah, I was just going to say, they went to the same school.
They were on the same team. That's right. That's right. So we'll see how that plays out. So we talked, Jay, off the top about this eyewitness, the state's star witness, who testified through a video recording. What do we know about him? Well, this was really interesting. This is a man who actually lived in the apartment complex with Brian Pata.
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Chapter 3: What evidence did the prosecution present in the Richens trial?
He talked to his public defender and then he slumped over when he got into the glass box where defendants go during the hearing. He waived his right to a speedy trial and pleaded not guilty to the two murder counts he's facing.
After the arraignment, L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman spoke to the press. What did he say? He said the case is on track.
They are waiting on a coroner's report, but the majority of discovery has been turned over to the defense. He said that the prosecutors are considering whether to pursue the death penalty in this case, though.
We will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and we have invited defense counsel to present to us, both in writing and orally in a meeting, any arguments that they would like to make in consideration for our going forward or not going forward with the death penalty.
How are Rob and Michelle's other children, Nick's siblings, handling these new developments? I mean, this whole thing, our hearts just go out to them.
Nick's sister and brother have not attended any of the hearings. Back in January, they did issue a statement through a family spokesperson saying that they have the utmost trust in the legal process.
Nick's next hearing is scheduled for April, and we will, of course, update you with anything we hear before that. Next, we're heading to Lenawee County, Michigan, where the murder trial of farmer Dale Warner, which we told you about last week, is still underway. Veronica, remind us of what happened there.
Dale is accused of murdering his wife, Dee, back in 2021 and hiding her body in a fertilizer tank on his farm. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and tampering with evidence.
What's unfolded in the courtroom since last week?
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