Campus Crime Chronicles

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day. Earlier this year, on Aug. 25, Jelani was reported missing and shortly after, on Sept. 4, Jelani’s body was found floating face down in the Illinois River in Peru, Illinois. After an autopsy supposedly revealed no evidence of assault or altercation, the county coroner concluded the cause of his death was, simply, drowning. BUT, Jelani’s family, friends, and thousands of supporters think there is much more to the story than an accidental drowning. Find out all the details of this story on Chronicle 19, #WhatHappenedtoJelaniDay. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the story of Marissa Pagli, an 18-year-old freshman volleyball player attending Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Marissa's life was tragically cut short at the hands of her OWN mother, who was experiencing a severe mental breakdown at the time of the crime. Check out this episode to hear more details of Marissa's story. 

This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the story of a young woman, 17, who accused a 20-year-old college student from the University of Kansas of rape. She alleged he sexually assaulted her after the two met at a popular college hangout called "The Hawk" in Lawrence, Kansas. That former KU student, Albert N. Wilson, has always denied the accusations and maintained his innocence, claiming not only did he not rape her, but he says the two NEVER had sexual intercourse at all. Find out what happens in this whirlwind of a he-said, she-said case that seems like it could be the storyline of an episode of "Law & Order: SVU." 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of a University of Miami football player who was gunned down and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex – and after 15 years of, basically, no public suspects or “official” suspects – police finally announced that they made an arrest for this crime JUST this year, on August 19, 2021.

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of one South Carolina college student who was simply trying to be responsible and call a ride share after a night out drinking with her friends. When a black Chevy Impala pulled up beside her, the student got in, thinking it was the Uber ride she ordered… but, instead, it was a terrible, evil person waiting for her behind the wheel of that car… and that person would go on to brutally attack her, leaving her for dead on the side of the road. This episode is titled “The Wrong Car”… and it’s bound to make you think twice before hopping into that next Uber or Lyft. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of how one of America’s most notorious serial killers escaped from a prison in Colorado and made his way to Tallahassee, Florida. While there, that escaped convict, the infamous Ted Bundy, entered the Chi Omega sorority house on the campus of Florida State University. Once inside the house, he killed two young women that night and severely beat and injured two others. Then, he fled the home and made his way to a duplex down the street where he beat and nearly killed a fifth woman the same night.

This episode is rated a 3… and also a 2 (on my Serious Crime Scale). That’s right! This week I have a double rating because I tell you two different stories with a similar theme; both of which are about a professor’s worst nightmare coming true -- when a distraught student decides to take revenge. In both situations, the professors escape their situations relatively unharmed, hence the ratings of 3 and 2. BUT, not without some disturbing emotional trauma that they likely endured. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). Yesterday, Aug. 1, 2021, marked the 55th anniversary of the first public mass shooting in U.S. history. In this episode, I tell the story of how one man climbed to the top of the clock tower on the University of Texas campus, loaded with plenty of guns and ammo, and wreaked havoc on people below for 96 minutes. By the time three brave men took him out, he had killed a total of 14 people and injured another 31 more. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It’s the story of how one college, Eastern Michigan University, accrued the largest fine in history (at the time) from the Department of Education in violation of the Clery Act. In 2008, the school had to pay $350,000 in fines after administration lied about the death of 22-year-old Laura Dickinson. For 10 weeks, they allowed not only Laura’s own parents, but also the entire university community and students, believe there was no foul play involved and that Laura had suddenly died of natural causes. But 10 weeks after Laura’s death, the university announced they had arrested a suspect for Laura’s murder, and they had actually been investigating it as a homicide the whole time. Find out the rest of the story in this episode, "A Killing Kept Secret." 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the story of Australian baseball player Chris Lane, who was going to college at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, on a baseball scholarship. For reasons that seem to only point to summertime boredom of three teenagers, Chris was randomly gunned down and killed while he was out on a run.

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the story of Australian baseball player Chris Lane, who was going to college at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, on a baseball scholarship. For reasons that seem to only point to summertime boredom of three teenagers, Chris was randomly gunned down and killed while he was out on a run. 

This episode is rated a 1 (on my Serious Crime Scale). It's the first official 1 I've ever rated! The title speaks for itself, but in this episode you'll find out what happens when four college students make some not so great decisions after a night full of binge drinking. 

This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale). A pre-med student at UCLA was stabbed in an organic chemistry lab -- in front of tons of witnesses! Miraculously, the victim lived through the seemingly unprovoked encounter. This is the story of the attack and SURVIVAL of Katherine Rosen, who was stabbed five times in her chest and slashed in her throat by another student in the class. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). I tell the tragic story of the Virginia Tech shootings that occurred April 16, 2007, in Blacksburg, Virginia, from the perspective of several surviving victims. As a result of the massacre, 27 students and five professors died and another 17 people were shot or injured. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). When 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III visited friends for the weekend at the University of Maryland to celebrate his graduation (which was only THREE days away), he didn't know another man would ultimately take his life, and he would never get the chance to walk across the stage and accept his degree. Find out why one man, a complete stranger, made the decision to end Richard's life, in a seemingly random encounter. Or was it...? 

This episode is rated a 4 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). I tell the story of missing college student Jason Landry. Jason packed up his car to head home for winter break in December 2020, but he only made it about 30 minutes into the trip before he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into some trees and a fence on the side of the road. Police believe Jason walked away relatively unharmed, but he left all of his personal belongings behind, including his cellphone, keys, clothes, backpack and computer. He has not been seen or heard from since. 

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). This is part TWO of the tragic story of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who was ultimately murdered as the result of domestic violence.

This episode is rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). I tell the tragic story of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who was ultimately murdered as the result of domestic violence. 

This is the first OFFICIAL episode of Campus Crime Chronicles! It's rated a 5 (on my Serious Crime Scale of 1 to 5). I tell the full story of Jeanne Clery, a student who was brutally assaulted and murdered in her dorm room in the 1980s. It takes a deep dive into the Clery Act, which mandates all federally funded colleges and universities to publicly report crime statistics on their campuses.