A Youngstown, Ohio, woman who was reported missing in 2017 was discovered dismembered and stored in a freezer six months later. Now, three people are awaiting trial for the murder of Shannan Graves. Nancy Grace explores this disturbing case with experts including South Carolina medical examiner Dr. Michelle Dupre -- author of "Homicide Investigation Field Guide," Atlanta psychologist Dr. Wendy Dickinson -- founder of Grow Counseling, North Carolina family and divorce lawyer John Lemley.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A missing woman's body was
the one being stored in a Camel freezer. Police have
just confirmed that it was Shannon Graves. She hadn't been
seen for several months. First, Who's anchor, Stanboni is live
outside of the Youngstown Police Department right now with more information.
(00:27):
I'm standing tonight just outside of the Youngstown Police Department
of downtown Youngstown, where in the past hour, the police
department has confirmed the identity of the woman found Saturday
in a freezer in Camel. Her name is Shannon Graves.
She is twenty eight years old. For a while, she
was actually on the Ohio Attorney General's missing Person's list.
(00:49):
The confirmation of the identity of Shannon Graves was made
this afternoon after an autopsy done by the Cuyahoga County
Corner's Office. Shannon Grave was just twenty eight years old,
goes missing for a period of time, and then she
is reported missing by her family. So how does a
(01:10):
body end up in a freezer? First? I want to
find out, Well, you know, let's just start at the beginning.
I'm Nasy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I've got an
all star panel lined up to figure this out? How
does a woman go a young woman in the prime
of her life, just twenty eight years old, got her
whole life in front of her, got parents, got siblings,
(01:35):
people that love her. How does she end up not
just in a freezer? You know why it took so
long to figure out who it was? She was dismembered?
What did they just move over the ground beef? They
just move for her body over and reach through the
ground beef down to the frozen pepperoni pizza. How did
(01:59):
this happen to this beautiful young girl. I'm looking at
her right now. She looks like she should be on
the front of some organic, natural, living, wholesome magazine. Jackie,
look at her? Look out pretty? I mean when you yeah, yeah,
that's exactly what I thought, Jackie said. It looks like
clean living. She's beautiful. I don't mean that in a
(02:20):
homely kind of way, like no makeup and frumpy hair
all that. She's beautiful. She's got kind of brownish honey
blonde hair pulled over. It looks like a kind of
a loose side pony. She's got big, beautiful brown eyes,
a very pretty smile. She's just pretty. She looks like
(02:42):
the girl next door with me. Doctor Michelle Dupree, medical examiner,
author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide, doctor Wendy Dickinson, psycholog's
founder of Grow Counseling. Stephen Lampley, detective extraordinaire. Kathleen Murphy,
veteran trial lawyer out of North Carolina. Nimah Hadatti, former
(03:04):
California prosecutor, trial veteran. But right now, to John Limley,
Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, who is this woman?
Why is she in a freezer? Nancy, the way you've
described Shannon Elizabeth Graves is really perfect. You know, she's
like somebody's beloved daughter or granddaughter or best friend, and
(03:25):
she was all of those things. Yeah, I was gonna say, correction,
She's not like somebody's beloved. She is somebody's beloved daughter, right.
I mean, don't start I'm beloved children because I have
been a nervous wreck about children. My children, they're eleven. Nimahdatti, Dotor,
Wendy Dickinson. You may not have heard me go on
(03:47):
and on and on about them, but they're eleven year
old twins. They're my world. John David just fractured his
foot walking off the playground and Lucy Santa. What was
Heath thanking? I disagree with this. Basanta brought up trampoline,
Lucy jumped on a ball instead of the trampoline and
(04:08):
sprained her ankle, and then the dog the docks and
Mutt hurt his back. Everybody's sick, and I think about
it all day long while they're at school. Yes, this
woman is beloved. Her parents probably thought about her all
the time, like I think about the twins all the time.
John Linley and most of her family last remember seeing
(04:29):
Shannon on Christmas Day. Now, her sister Debbie to Paul
says that she last saw her almost two months later
in mid February. That's when Debbie says she spent some
time with Shannon at her apartment with Shannon's boyfriend. But
then Shannon misses two key family events that spring, first
(04:51):
her sister's birthday in March and then Easter two, which
was a big celebration for the family on that year
in twenty seven teen, Easter was on April sixteenth. Debbie
says that it was not unusual for Shannon to go
really long periods of time without communicating with family members. However,
(05:12):
by the time June arrived. This is when she had
passed a threshold that she'd never crossed before. So Shannon
had never gone so long without contacting someone. So that's
when the family decided this time was different, something was wrong,
so they filed a missing person report with the Youngstown,
(05:33):
Ohio Police Department. Shannon's name was also very quickly added
to the Ohio General's Missing Person's website. When they spoke
with police, the family told them that what really bothered
them this time about Shannon's disappearance is what she left behind.
Her car, her cell phone, and most importantly, her dog.
(05:56):
That's something they say Shannon would never in a million
years due is leave her dog behind. Oh goodness, no,
I want you to take a listen to our friend
at WKB and TV, Shannon Graves when he eight year
old was added to the Ohio Attorney General's Missing Person's
website earlier this month after concerns about her well being. Tonight,
we reached out to the homeowner who discovered the body.
(06:19):
He told us he is too distraught to talk after
finding out that it was Shannon Graves in the freezer,
just like you're saying. John Lemley Crime Online dot com
investigative reporter, where you can find this in all other
breaking crime and justice news Crime online dot com. The
fact that she left behind her dog, and I want
to go for a moment to our new panelist, Atlanta psychologist,
(06:42):
founder of Grow Counseling, doctor Wendy Dickinson. You know, doctor
Wendy Dickinson. It was a technique I used often in court,
but really I just recently heard a formal name to it.
It's called routine evidence evidence of routine. I would argue
to a jury this person departed from their regular routine,
(07:04):
and I just noticed it was being called that in
the end on Sayed Case, which is part of Serial
the podcast. Here you've got a woman that goes about
the same routine all the time, and suddenly you find
her cell phone, her purse, and most important, her dog
has been abandoned. Yeah, it's it's um. There's obviously something
(07:26):
going on when we see somebody who just immediately changes
their routine. It's one of the factors that we've worked
for and assessing has there been a trauma? Is there
is there somebody in the person's life that has impacted
them in a way that's caused them to change their routine.
We look for maybe a head trauma or something that's
(07:49):
organic in nature, kind of a biomechanical issue with them,
because those all points to something's changed, something's different. Well,
you know what, I'm glad you're such an optimus doctor
Wendy Dickinson, because Stephen Lampley, from where you and I sit,
when somebody leaves their dog, their cel phone, their purse behind,
they're dead. Okay, Doctor Wendy Dickinson thinks, Hey, maybe they've
(08:12):
had a traumatic event, maybe they're reeling emotionally. I'm like,
they're dead. That's usually true, Mancy. Of course, there are
the outside events where a person has become delirious or
injured and is wandering about, but as you and I know,
most of the time, that's what's happened. They're dead somewhere.
One way Shannon was remembered was with pictures scattered on
(08:35):
the railing throughout the gazebo. There were also candles and
boxes of tissues. T shirts were being sold saluting Youngstown
Girls on the front and Justice for Shannon on the back.
Even Shannon's dog, Molly, now in the care of Debby,
was there. It's not the easiest. I have my moments,
but there's a lot going on, so I'm just trying
(08:56):
to stay strong and keep going. As people arrived, there
was some talking, but for the most part they were quiet, solemn,
remembering Shannon Graves. It's a good thing. It's good for people,
you know that our missing her, and it's I think
it's good for awareness of what's going on with the
whole thing, because it's pretty foul. Yeah, foul is one
(09:18):
way to put it. Wk B NTV STANDBONI reporting right there.
You know, I just don't know sometimes how many more
of these I can take to Nimahdadi, former California prosecutor.
You like I and Lampley have probably seen it all.
I guess I can throw Kathleen Murphy and Limley in
that well, really our whole panel. But Nima, do you
(09:42):
ever get beaten down when you see another scene of
candles and pictures and tissues and stuffed animals because you
know someone has been killed and all the candles in
the world are not going to bring them back. And
the only thing left for some body like you or
me to do it's to seek justice. That's the only
(10:04):
thing I new to do in court. I would get
so overwhelmed with this murder and that murder and this trial,
molestation and that arson. It just seemed to make me
meaner and meaner and meaner, because it's all I could do.
It's fight back. I'm with you, exact same feelings and
candles and pictures. It humanizes everything so much and it
(10:25):
just brings it down to the core and it's devastating,
you know, And the only thing you can do is
just push forward and fight and bring justice to these poor,
devastated families. And I know you know with me from
la is Alan. Do you can hear in the studio
Jackie Howard, so as we talk about, you know, sound
or pictures that compliment our story, that help explain it,
(10:47):
and I'll see sound of vigil. I'm like, I don't
want any vigil. They're like why because it doesn't help.
It doesn't help solve the case. So, John Linley, can
we move from the visual, which I appreciate. I appreciate
it as a crime victim what that means to the
family to have a vigil and remember Shannon. But I
(11:08):
want results, John Limley, you tell me this girl is
dismembered and a freezer. Uh huh? What happened next? Well,
before they even find her body in the freezer, police
began checking jail's, prisons, hospitals, anywhere to see if they
could find Shannon in any of those facilities. Why did
(11:29):
you say that about her? Well, this girl doesn't have
a record. No, but they've run out of leads, and
so they're looking any and everywhere just to see if
something has happened along the way. Then a couple of
months into the investigation, there's some shocking news coming out
of Campbell, Ohio. This is just a ten minute drive
(11:49):
from Youngstown. Word is that a couple living in Campbell
have made a horrific discovery in their own house, in
their basement, and they think a friend there's has something
to do with it. Oh, well, don't stop there, go ahead. Well,
the beginning of the story goes back when Ken Eschenball
says a friend introduced him to a man named Anthony Gonzalez. Well,
(12:13):
Ken says he became friends with Anthony because Ken owns
some audio equipment and Anthony was interested in recording rap music.
Fast forward to the middle of the July. This is
when Anthony asks Ken for a favor Anthony tells Ken
that the electricity has gone out in his home and
(12:34):
he's concerned that some meat he was keeping in a
freezer was in danger. A thoughting going bad, so when
Anthony asked Ken if he could bring the freezer to
his home in Campbell, Ken said sure, no problem. Anthony
arrives at night with a friend, according to Ken, bringing
the freezer through a backdoor and into the basement. It
(12:57):
wasn't until three days maybe, Ken says, after the freezer
arrived in his house that Ken's wife notices that it's
secured with a padlock. He says he doesn't think too
much about it because Anthony could be a little unusual,
a little odd at times. That freezer sat in the
basement for a few weeks until one Saturday morning when
(13:20):
Ken's wife planned to make some spaghetti and meatballs. She
thought she would just borrow some hamburger from the freezer
and then replace it later. No harm done. Ken's wife
told him that she removed the three screws that secured
the padlock. To the man, she must have really wanted
spaghetti and meatballs to go into someone she doesn't know
(13:41):
freezer and the hope she might find some Hamburger meeting
in there. Don't screws the padlocks breaks and gets in there.
I don't believe that for one minute. Kathleen Murphy, she
just wanted to know what was in the freezer. Eat
in the freezer. She wanted to eat that spaghetti. They
were going to make spaghetti that night. But she didn't
want to runto the gross Kathleen, she didn't know what
was in there. She didn't know if there was a
ground bay freezing. But the reality is, it doesn't matter
(14:04):
why she went into the freezer. What matters is what
she found, what she got in there. John Limley. Yeah,
she begins rummaging through the freezer and comes upon a
large garbage bag inside. This is when Ken's wife says
she immediately got a bad feeling. She put everything back in,
replaced the three screws, and called her husband. And when
(14:27):
Kenn arrives at home, he opens the freezer and found
that whatever was inside the bag was frozen solid. So
he got out a knife. Well, is everybody trying to
tell me nobody looked in the bag? You know? Joining
me is Stephen Lampley, a detective extraordinaire. Stephen. Everybody better
(14:47):
get their story straight and tell the truth. They can't see. Wow,
I want a spaghetti and meatballs. And I just thought
maybe this freezer that's padlock in the basement, that belongs
to somebody else might have some frozen meatballs in it.
So I went and broke into it, unscrewed all the hinges,
(15:07):
took off the padlock, and found a dead body. No,
she has to tell the truth. I was curious, I
had a bad feeling. I opened the freezer. It's in
my basement. I can open whenever I want to in
my basement because little lies like that. If it is
a lie, maybe she just was on an insatiable quest
(15:29):
for meatballs. But even a little lie can ruin a prosecution.
Stephen Lampley, Nancy, you're absolutely correct, and you know well
more than the rest of us to about prosecuting murder cases.
I don't believe that as well. Of course, that's my opinion.
I think you're right. I think she was curious as
to what was in the freezer, and that's when they
(15:51):
made the discovery on the body parts. And of course
it's my understanding that all of her body parts were
in there. Okay, thank you for that last touch. Not
all the body parts were in there. You know. To
doctor Wendy Dickinson, what is it about human curiosity? Why
not just admit I was curious about why they stored
the freezer here and I opened the padlock. Why make
(16:13):
up a story about me both well, I just I
have to imagine that after she found the body in there,
she's completely freaked out and afraid that she was going
to be implicated in some way. But I think you're right,
it's the core of it. It sounds like she's curious
and I wanted to know what's in the POWD blocked
fridge freezer. Why do you have a power block on
your freezer? That's not normal? And I'll tell you another
(16:34):
reason I'm worried. To Nimahadatti, former California prosecutor NeiMa you
know this jury charge as well as I do. I'm
sure the jury it is there the sole province of
a jury to determine credibility of a witness. In other words,
are they telling the truth or not? Not the judge,
not the prosecutor, not the defense. And there is a
(16:56):
jury charge that the judge gives at the end of
every case before the jury makes the deliberations, and it
is if you disbelieve the witness in any part and
some in part in whole, you're entitled to throw out
all of their testimony from your deliberations. Now, think about it, Nima,
(17:19):
follow me along with this for a moment. Tell me
what you think. If that's true, and you have one
nut back in the jury room and they decide this
woman that opens the padlock is lying about why she
went into the freezer, they could throw out all of
her testimony. You know what, That leaves a perfect story
for the defense that she did it, that she and
(17:42):
her husband did it, and they're trying to pin it
on somebody else. Because if you could throw out all
of her testimony about discovering the body, then the state's
got a problem. Yeah, this is pretty terrible for the
prosecution when you have a witness that even a little
bit a little white light could destroy the credibility and
that would be the end of their entire testimony. And
(18:03):
without this piece, it would make this case difficult for
the prosecution. So bottom line, I believe the woman is
completely innocent. I think she got curious and opened up
the freezer, as I would too. Padlock freezer on my basement,
no way, and she found the worst discovery of all,
a dead body. So question, how did Shannon Graves get
(18:27):
into the freezer? Not on her own because she's dismembered
crime stories with Nancy Grace. Youngstown City Prosecutor Dana Lance said,
(18:53):
just after Graves was last seen five months ago, Layton
moved in, drove graves car, used herself phone, and even
cared for her dog. Then, on July twenty fourth, a
witness told police Late and Novoa moved a Padlock freezer
to a Devitt Avenue home and cammel. Five days later,
the homeowner called police after finding human remains inside. Well,
(19:14):
that's certainly a love match. Artiro Novoa, who is Shannon's
then boyfriend at the time she goes missing her live in,
he's already slung up with another woman, John Limley, another
woman who is driving Graves's car, using her cell phone,
taking care of her dog. What right? And this name
Arturo Novoa is one we haven't heard yet because that's
(19:36):
not the name he was using when he was with
his girlfriend. Also when he was with these friends that
were keeping a friend a freezer. Yes, Artiro Novoa is
the same guy. I think you said Anthony that wanted
somebody else to quote store his freezer. So correct, Anthony
Gonzalez and Artura Novoa one and the same. But his
(19:59):
name is really our tour of Novola. You know what
I always love And let me throw this to doctor
Wendy Dickinson, Atlanta psychologist, founder of Grow Counseling. I love
reading an indictment to a jury because you know, when
you start a felony case, the prosecution reads the indictment,
and I love reading that indictment out loud, especially when
(20:20):
there are a string of aliases behind the defendant's name.
For instance, Jackie Howard aka also known as Jahoe, also
known as the Jack. Yeah, and you go on and
on and on and on, and finally the jury's like,
I don't have an alias, I don't have a quote
street name. Why does this person have so many names?
(20:43):
Having multiple names? It's never a sign of good things, Wendy, Yeah.
I mean when you look at somebody who has a
string of multiple names, you start to wonder what is
it that they're trying to cover up? You know, we
look at behavior that's outside of the normal curve of behavior,
and like you said, most of us use one name.
We're straightforward about who we are. That's our identity. When
somebody has these versions of themselves and they're trying to
(21:04):
portray in different ways, it starts to raise questions about
what their real intentions are. Same thing, Aland when a
guy has multiple cell phones, Alan, I'm always suspicious Why
I have more than one cell phone? Who do you
want to call on one phone versus the other phone? Alan, Well,
ones for business and once for family. M Okay, let
(21:24):
me go back to you, John Linley, Crime online dot
Com investigator reporters. So we figured this much out. But
what I don't know? Who is Layton? I know Artiro
Novoa aka Anthony? Who is Layton? That is our tour
Novoah's new girlfriend Katrina Layton, or maybe she's not a
new girlfriend. Maybe she's been a girlfriend the whole time.
That's for investigators to find out. Both of them had
(21:46):
been booked into the County jail. Youngstown Police tell us
that although Novoa denied knowing anything about a body inside
a freezer, he had the keys to the padlock when
he was arrested. Okay, that's pretty damnage, do Doctor Michelle Dupree.
Now we really need you, doctor Dupree, medical examiner out
of South Carolina, author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide. Just
(22:09):
the title alone makes me want to stay up at
night and read that, and sadly, I'm not kidding. Homicide
Investigation Field Guide. Wow, okay, doctor Michelle Dupree. We know
that this young girl, twenty eight years old, Shannon Graves,
is in the freezer. She's dismembered. How do you how
(22:29):
do you salvage a frozen body? And what does literally
NonStop freezing temperature due to human remains? But I think
that's all very good questions, and there's several things we
have to consider. One is, we do have to defrost
the body, but we have to do it in such
a way so that it doesn't occur rapidly so there's
as little damage as possible to the skin and to
(22:50):
the tissue. Well, how do you do that? Wait? Wait, wait, wait, wait,
you just told me something I've never thought of. I've
had plenty of cases where the body have been frozen,
but you're telling me you have to unthought it in
a particular way so as to decrease the likelihood of damage.
What do you mean by that, well, so that if
we need to do microscopic studies, and we always try
to do microscopic studies in our autopsies so that we
(23:12):
can preserve as much tissue as possible without the frozen artifact.
So we just defrost it slowly. You mean you just
let the body sit there. You certainly don't warm it
up in any way, do you. That's right, We just
let it most we sit there. Okay, so let me
understand this. The body parts are in garbage bags, John Limley, Yes, correct, Okay.
(23:33):
What happens? Then the meatball aficionado finds the dead body
and the padlocked freezer. Whoops, the I unscrewed the padlock
and calls her husband. I still don't believe that without
knowing what was in the garbage bag, she called her husband.
I think she looked in there and she saw a body.
But that's just me. But they better get that and
nailed down before they go to trial. The husband comes home,
(23:53):
they confirm its body, and then what happens. This is
when very quickly police discover the identity of our Toura
Novoa aka Anthony Gonzalez and his girlfriend charged them. Now,
as for this girlfriend, Katrina Layton. It's discovered that during
this time period she had since Shannon's disappearance, she had
(24:16):
essentially taken over Shannon's life, even taking care of her
dog and driving her car after her appearance. And one
important point, Katrina Layton was also the one who bought
that freezer where the body was kept for who knows
how long. Okay, this is what I don't understand, and
I'm not to that point yet because I don't know
(24:37):
all the facts. But how does one person murder somebody,
dismember the body and everybody else just goes along with it.
I'm going to go out to my partner in crime,
Alan Duke. Alan, you and I have covered so many cases.
You were at SNN long before me. You were with
me so many nights at HLN. We there was so
(25:00):
many cases where people will commit a crime, which is
bad enough, but those other people around it in the
mix that knew what had happened, that went a lot.
Here you've got this woman Layton, I guess, wearing her clothes,
taking care of her dog, driving her car. I mean,
she's got to know. Yeah, it's like in the Tera
Grinstead case, the trial going on bo Duke's helped his
(25:21):
friend Ryan burned the body in a pecan roag. Why
would you do that? You didn't kill that person, Why
would you have anything to do with it? I don't. Again,
I'm going to go to shrink on that. But let
me get the rest of the fact. So Linley, they
identify that it is Shannon. No, no, they don't yet.
They identify that the freezer was brought over there by
Artiro Novoa under the name Anthony, and then they pieced
(25:44):
together that the girlfriend Layton has been driving Shannon's car
and taking care of her dog. Okay, then what happens, Well,
they discovered that after Shannon was killed and locked away
in that freezer, this girlfriend, Katrina Layton, she had blamed
Grave's identity and lived her life, but she didn't really,
(26:04):
you know, she didn't go to the point of, you know,
changing her name and identification and such. Novoa and Leyton
allegedly moved inside of Shannon's home, used her credit cards,
even caring for her dog. All the while the community
is searching for this young woman. So basically, Katrina moved
in with Arturo started living Shannon's life. She didn't hold
(26:28):
herself out to be Shannon. She just lived her life,
using her phone, caring for a dog, apparently the two
just driving her car, wearing her clothes. I mean, but
that is impersonating her. John Linley, Kathleen Murphy. That's gonna
look horrible if this ever goes to court, that she
just walked into somebody's home. How could she argues she
didn't know anything had happened to Shannon Graves when she's
(26:50):
taking care of her dog, wearing her clothes, driving her car,
and using her cell phone with all of her contacts
in it. Oh, Nancy, She didn't say she was impersonating.
She said she was just used her item, using her ID,
using her home, taking care of her dog. But to her,
that's not her boyfriend, her apartment, her car, her driver's license,
(27:11):
her credit cards, her dog, her cell phone. I mean,
she's not. What am I missing? That is impersonal? That's
I come into your house and I'll start wearing your clothes,
taking care of your children and having dinner with your husband,
driving your car and calling people on your cell phone.
And I'm gonna say, I'm not impersonating you. Fine, have it.
Your white Nemaha Dati former California prosecutor. She's in deep,
(27:35):
deep trouble. Yeah, she is. This is pretty terrible, using
somebody's ID, using the car, everything that is impersonating somebody
and seems like she's an accessory. There's no way she
can have known about any of this. She needs to
find a really good defense attorney and separate herself and
start to fight as soon as possible. Take a listen
to Youngstown Lieutenant Doug bbof Nick and her friend A. W.
(27:58):
K be into with you. Arrest made. Two individuals were
arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse, and then
the other individual was also additionally charged with obstructing justice
in connection with the remains found in Campmell. We believe
that we are investigating it because we believe that it
(28:19):
originated in the city of Youngstown and was taken the
camel Are those two people are troa in Katrina Taylor.
That's correct, he's ald Us wearing Camelot Street house. It
was on Devitt Avenue in camel What can you say
about the body those found? It appears to be a female. However,
(28:40):
we weren't able to closely examine it. The body was
taken to Cuyahoga County Corner's office where there's going to
be a forensic examination earlier this week. We'll be able
to determine the hopefully the cause of death. The next
steps today in a murder case that has garnered national attention,
two people accusing the murder of a woman and then
putting her body in a freezer, we're in court today.
(29:01):
First News reporter Tyler Trill was there and has the
latest from the courtroom. The couple young Sound police accused
of hiding a missing woman's body inside a freezer pleaded
not guilty to all three of their charges inside a
Mahoney County courtroom this morning. Arturo Novoa and Katrina Layton
are charged with aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse
of a corpse after a police discovered the body of
(29:22):
Shannon Graves in a freezer and a camel home in July.
They've both been in Mahoney County jail ever since. Grays
is the ex girlfriend of Novoah. The two lived together
in a home in Youngstown. Prosecutors say Katrina Layton then
assumed Shannon Grave's life after she had died. Bond was
set at a million dollars for both Novoah and Layton
(29:43):
back in July. That bond continues. Out to John Linley,
Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, I noticed that these
two are charged now with aggravated murderer of this beautiful
young girl, Shannon Grays. But two other people are charged
with obstructing justice. So bottom line, this Ohio man thirty
one years old, Orchia Novoa, hid his girlfriend's body in
(30:04):
a freezer while living with another woman, also in her thirties,
who assumed Shannon Graves identity. It's Artira Novoa and Katrina
Leyton arrested by Youngstown police. I learned about this story
conveniently at a restaurant slash Bar. I was not drinking
(30:25):
across the street from the courthouse in Youngstown, and what
I heard left me shocked and upset, not just about
the murder, but the fact that people would stand by
and be part of this scheme. To John Limley, I
noticed that two people are charged, Novoah and Leyton with
Shannon's murder, But who are the other two people that
(30:47):
are charged with obstruction? The names in the indictment Andrew
Herman and Michelle Enfield. These two were charged on engaging
in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with evidence twelve
counts there, and abuse of a corpse. In short, they
assisted Novoa with getting a rid hiding the body of
(31:12):
Shannon Graves. I just want to make sure, John Linley,
of one thing. The two names you read out, they're
not the meatball lover right, they're not the people that
claim they find the body and they're shocked and they okay,
so they're in the clear at they're the good guys
in this scenario. Who are these two other people? How
could they? You know? I don't get it. Nimahadatti, former
(31:33):
California prosecutor. I've seen it before where other people just
stand by and let something horrible happen and help in
the cover up and do nothing. Yeah, this is pretty terrible.
It seems like they actually helped conceal It seems like
with that obstruction of justice charge, they helped conceal the
crime as well. And it's just disgusting. And the apartment
(31:57):
that they lived in was actually Shannon Graves's apartment. Artiro Novoa,
the boyfriends and then Layton basically assume her life, all
her belongings. They take over her life. These two have
now landed in a court of law. Take a listen
to this the next steps today in a murder case
(32:18):
that has garnered national attention, two people accusing the murder
of a woman and then putting her body in a freezer.
We're in court today. First News reporter Tyler Trill was
there and has the latest from the courtroom. The couple
young Sound police accused of hiding a missing woman's body
inside a freezer pleaded not guilty to all three of
their charges inside a Mahoney County courtroom this morning. Artiro
(32:39):
Novoa and Katrina Layton are charged with aggravated murder, tampering
with evidence, and abuse of a corpse after a police
discovered the body of Shannon Graves in a freezer and
a camel home in July. They've both been in Mahoney
County jail ever since. Graves is the ex girlfriend of Novoah.
Graves family reported her missing back in February. The two
lived together in a home in Youngstown. Prosecutors said Katrina
(33:02):
Layton then assumed Shannon Grave's life after she had died.
Bond was set at a million dollars for both Novoa
and Layton back in July that bond continues. Law enforcement
also searched the couple's home. Those that were charged with
obstructing and helping hide the body, and they say, quote,
the measures this group allegedly took to cover up the
(33:23):
gruesome homicide are incomprehensible. That's from the age might Dwing.
These three defendants are accused of engaging in a pattern
of corrupt activity and attempt to mislead authorities and conceal
the atrocious crime. Wow, how long they got away with
her body being dismembered and frozen and a freezer sitting
(33:46):
in somebody else's basement is just amazing to me. To
Detective Stephen Lampley, how do you get away with something
for that long glance? It depends on the situation. You
look at Jeffrey Dahmer. Friends, of course, this is no way,
this is not a serial killing that Jeffrey Dahmer got
away with this forever. I mean, it seemed like it
(34:06):
was an eternity that he was killing and giving away
with it, and d was using a preaser himself. It
just depends on the circumstance that it can be done
and has been done and may be done again. I'm
also learning that the missing woman's body, of course, discovered
in a freezer, was not complete. Her entire body has
(34:27):
still not been found. I've also learned she was only
identified through fingerprints in DNA. To medical examiner and author
doctor Michelle Dupree, what does that tell you they had
to identify her through through fingerprints in DNA. Well, that
tells me basically that the body was in a condition
that it was unidentifiable by any other means, And identifying
(34:51):
a diseased person through fingerprints is relatively easy as fond
as we have tissue again that we can use to
get a fingerprint from and something to match it too. Well,
in my mind, Nemaha, Daddy, I don't know if you're
thinking like me, but what it tells me is she
doesn't have a head. They cannot identify her, They cannot
be in facial recognition. They had to use fingerprints in DNA.
That's what it tells me. Nema. I don't know, but
(35:13):
I mean, they couldn't identify her through gental records, They
could not identify her through facial recognition. They had to
use her fingerprints. Nema. Yeah, this points to me this
was all premeditated. They thought about this. This was done
in a very articulate and disgusting matter and was well
thought out. It's terrible, but Nan she may not have
(35:34):
had a head, but she also could have just been
too decomposed to have visual recognition. And unless we have
something to compare general records too, and we have an
idea who that person is, there's no judge base in
the sky for everybody who general records, So fingerprints are
an excellent way to do that. You know, what does
that do to a family, doctor Wendy Dickinson, that you
don't have your child's whole body to bury. Potentially her
(35:57):
head or some other part of her body is missing. Well,
I mean it's obviously a trauma on top of a trauma.
I mean the family has already been through so much
with her being missing and not knowing what's happening and
finding out all of these details, but then not to
be able to have the closure of being able to
bury her and see her for one last time. It's
extremely difficult on their family on their grieving process and
(36:21):
really can lead to some pretty complex ramifications for the grieving.
To John Lonely, Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, where
does the case stand now. Well, before I get to that,
it's interesting to point out because we've talked about where
these extra body parts that were missing have gone. This
indictment shows that they disposed of graves body by both
(36:45):
chopping it up the parts that they found in the
freezer and dissolving part of it in acid before sticking
it in the freezer. Prosecutors alleged that these people helped
burn graves possessions, used her phone and cart, and earlier
this month, one of them, i Enfeld, even threatened someone
who dared to ask her questions about Shannon and her disappearance.
(37:09):
So at this point, first of all, Katrina Layton reached
a plea deal. She was able to avoid sentencing by
simply agreeing to testify against her boyfriend. Now the other two.
The trial date at this point is set for June third,
and this is when Artura Novoa and his co defendants
(37:31):
Andrew Hermann and his wife Michelle Ienfeld, they will all
go to trial on murder and disposal of Grave's body.
At this hour, Artura Novoa heading to trial for murderer
and abuse of a corpse. But what I will never
understand is why other people willingly go along with evil,
(37:52):
and stand by and let it happen, and do nothing.
We wait as justice unfals. Nancy Grace crimes Toory, signing
off goodbye friend,
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A missing woman's body was
the one being stored in a Camel freezer. Police have
just confirmed that it was Shannon Graves. She hadn't been
seen for several months. First, Who's anchor, Stanboni is live
outside of the Youngstown Police Department right now with more information.
(00:27):
I'm standing tonight just outside of the Youngstown Police Department
of downtown Youngstown, where in the past hour, the police
department has confirmed the identity of the woman found Saturday
in a freezer in Camel. Her name is Shannon Graves.
She is twenty eight years old. For a while, she
was actually on the Ohio Attorney General's missing Person's list.
(00:49):
The confirmation of the identity of Shannon Graves was made
this afternoon after an autopsy done by the Cuyahoga County
Corner's Office. Shannon Grave was just twenty eight years old,
goes missing for a period of time, and then she
is reported missing by her family. So how does a
(01:10):
body end up in a freezer? First? I want to
find out, Well, you know, let's just start at the beginning.
I'm Nasy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I've got an
all star panel lined up to figure this out? How
does a woman go a young woman in the prime
of her life, just twenty eight years old, got her
whole life in front of her, got parents, got siblings,
(01:35):
people that love her. How does she end up not
just in a freezer? You know why it took so
long to figure out who it was? She was dismembered?
What did they just move over the ground beef? They
just move for her body over and reach through the
ground beef down to the frozen pepperoni pizza. How did
(01:59):
this happen to this beautiful young girl. I'm looking at
her right now. She looks like she should be on
the front of some organic, natural, living, wholesome magazine. Jackie,
look at her? Look out pretty? I mean when you yeah, yeah,
that's exactly what I thought, Jackie said. It looks like
clean living. She's beautiful. I don't mean that in a
(02:20):
homely kind of way, like no makeup and frumpy hair
all that. She's beautiful. She's got kind of brownish honey
blonde hair pulled over. It looks like a kind of
a loose side pony. She's got big, beautiful brown eyes,
a very pretty smile. She's just pretty. She looks like
(02:42):
the girl next door with me. Doctor Michelle Dupree, medical examiner,
author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide, doctor Wendy Dickinson, psycholog's
founder of Grow Counseling. Stephen Lampley, detective extraordinaire. Kathleen Murphy,
veteran trial lawyer out of North Carolina. Nimah Hadatti, former
(03:04):
California prosecutor, trial veteran. But right now, to John Limley,
Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, who is this woman?
Why is she in a freezer? Nancy, the way you've
described Shannon Elizabeth Graves is really perfect. You know, she's
like somebody's beloved daughter or granddaughter or best friend, and
(03:25):
she was all of those things. Yeah, I was gonna say, correction,
She's not like somebody's beloved. She is somebody's beloved daughter, right.
I mean, don't start I'm beloved children because I have
been a nervous wreck about children. My children, they're eleven. Nimahdatti, Dotor,
Wendy Dickinson. You may not have heard me go on
(03:47):
and on and on about them, but they're eleven year
old twins. They're my world. John David just fractured his
foot walking off the playground and Lucy Santa. What was
Heath thanking? I disagree with this. Basanta brought up trampoline,
Lucy jumped on a ball instead of the trampoline and
(04:08):
sprained her ankle, and then the dog the docks and
Mutt hurt his back. Everybody's sick, and I think about
it all day long while they're at school. Yes, this
woman is beloved. Her parents probably thought about her all
the time, like I think about the twins all the time.
John Linley and most of her family last remember seeing
(04:29):
Shannon on Christmas Day. Now, her sister Debbie to Paul
says that she last saw her almost two months later
in mid February. That's when Debbie says she spent some
time with Shannon at her apartment with Shannon's boyfriend. But
then Shannon misses two key family events that spring, first
(04:51):
her sister's birthday in March and then Easter two, which
was a big celebration for the family on that year
in twenty seven teen, Easter was on April sixteenth. Debbie
says that it was not unusual for Shannon to go
really long periods of time without communicating with family members. However,
(05:12):
by the time June arrived. This is when she had
passed a threshold that she'd never crossed before. So Shannon
had never gone so long without contacting someone. So that's
when the family decided this time was different, something was wrong,
so they filed a missing person report with the Youngstown,
(05:33):
Ohio Police Department. Shannon's name was also very quickly added
to the Ohio General's Missing Person's website. When they spoke
with police, the family told them that what really bothered
them this time about Shannon's disappearance is what she left behind.
Her car, her cell phone, and most importantly, her dog.
(05:56):
That's something they say Shannon would never in a million
years due is leave her dog behind. Oh goodness, no,
I want you to take a listen to our friend
at WKB and TV, Shannon Graves when he eight year
old was added to the Ohio Attorney General's Missing Person's
website earlier this month after concerns about her well being. Tonight,
we reached out to the homeowner who discovered the body.
(06:19):
He told us he is too distraught to talk after
finding out that it was Shannon Graves in the freezer,
just like you're saying. John Lemley Crime Online dot com
investigative reporter, where you can find this in all other
breaking crime and justice news Crime online dot com. The
fact that she left behind her dog, and I want
to go for a moment to our new panelist, Atlanta psychologist,
(06:42):
founder of Grow Counseling, doctor Wendy Dickinson. You know, doctor
Wendy Dickinson. It was a technique I used often in court,
but really I just recently heard a formal name to it.
It's called routine evidence evidence of routine. I would argue
to a jury this person departed from their regular routine,
(07:04):
and I just noticed it was being called that in
the end on Sayed Case, which is part of Serial
the podcast. Here you've got a woman that goes about
the same routine all the time, and suddenly you find
her cell phone, her purse, and most important, her dog
has been abandoned. Yeah, it's it's um. There's obviously something
(07:26):
going on when we see somebody who just immediately changes
their routine. It's one of the factors that we've worked
for and assessing has there been a trauma? Is there
is there somebody in the person's life that has impacted
them in a way that's caused them to change their routine.
We look for maybe a head trauma or something that's
(07:49):
organic in nature, kind of a biomechanical issue with them,
because those all points to something's changed, something's different. Well,
you know what, I'm glad you're such an optimus doctor
Wendy Dickinson, because Stephen Lampley, from where you and I sit,
when somebody leaves their dog, their cel phone, their purse behind,
they're dead. Okay, Doctor Wendy Dickinson thinks, Hey, maybe they've
(08:12):
had a traumatic event, maybe they're reeling emotionally. I'm like,
they're dead. That's usually true, Mancy. Of course, there are
the outside events where a person has become delirious or
injured and is wandering about, but as you and I know,
most of the time, that's what's happened. They're dead somewhere.
One way Shannon was remembered was with pictures scattered on
(08:35):
the railing throughout the gazebo. There were also candles and
boxes of tissues. T shirts were being sold saluting Youngstown
Girls on the front and Justice for Shannon on the back.
Even Shannon's dog, Molly, now in the care of Debby,
was there. It's not the easiest. I have my moments,
but there's a lot going on, so I'm just trying
(08:56):
to stay strong and keep going. As people arrived, there
was some talking, but for the most part they were quiet, solemn,
remembering Shannon Graves. It's a good thing. It's good for people,
you know that our missing her, and it's I think
it's good for awareness of what's going on with the
whole thing, because it's pretty foul. Yeah, foul is one
(09:18):
way to put it. Wk B NTV STANDBONI reporting right there.
You know, I just don't know sometimes how many more
of these I can take to Nimahdadi, former California prosecutor.
You like I and Lampley have probably seen it all.
I guess I can throw Kathleen Murphy and Limley in
that well, really our whole panel. But Nima, do you
(09:42):
ever get beaten down when you see another scene of
candles and pictures and tissues and stuffed animals because you
know someone has been killed and all the candles in
the world are not going to bring them back. And
the only thing left for some body like you or
me to do it's to seek justice. That's the only
(10:04):
thing I new to do in court. I would get
so overwhelmed with this murder and that murder and this trial,
molestation and that arson. It just seemed to make me
meaner and meaner and meaner, because it's all I could do.
It's fight back. I'm with you, exact same feelings and
candles and pictures. It humanizes everything so much and it
(10:25):
just brings it down to the core and it's devastating,
you know, And the only thing you can do is
just push forward and fight and bring justice to these poor,
devastated families. And I know you know with me from
la is Alan. Do you can hear in the studio
Jackie Howard, so as we talk about, you know, sound
or pictures that compliment our story, that help explain it,
(10:47):
and I'll see sound of vigil. I'm like, I don't
want any vigil. They're like why because it doesn't help.
It doesn't help solve the case. So, John Linley, can
we move from the visual, which I appreciate. I appreciate
it as a crime victim what that means to the
family to have a vigil and remember Shannon. But I
(11:08):
want results, John Limley, you tell me this girl is
dismembered and a freezer. Uh huh? What happened next? Well,
before they even find her body in the freezer, police
began checking jail's, prisons, hospitals, anywhere to see if they
could find Shannon in any of those facilities. Why did
(11:29):
you say that about her? Well, this girl doesn't have
a record. No, but they've run out of leads, and
so they're looking any and everywhere just to see if
something has happened along the way. Then a couple of
months into the investigation, there's some shocking news coming out
of Campbell, Ohio. This is just a ten minute drive
(11:49):
from Youngstown. Word is that a couple living in Campbell
have made a horrific discovery in their own house, in
their basement, and they think a friend there's has something
to do with it. Oh, well, don't stop there, go ahead. Well,
the beginning of the story goes back when Ken Eschenball
says a friend introduced him to a man named Anthony Gonzalez. Well,
(12:13):
Ken says he became friends with Anthony because Ken owns
some audio equipment and Anthony was interested in recording rap music.
Fast forward to the middle of the July. This is
when Anthony asks Ken for a favor Anthony tells Ken
that the electricity has gone out in his home and
(12:34):
he's concerned that some meat he was keeping in a
freezer was in danger. A thoughting going bad, so when
Anthony asked Ken if he could bring the freezer to
his home in Campbell, Ken said sure, no problem. Anthony
arrives at night with a friend, according to Ken, bringing
the freezer through a backdoor and into the basement. It
(12:57):
wasn't until three days maybe, Ken says, after the freezer
arrived in his house that Ken's wife notices that it's
secured with a padlock. He says he doesn't think too
much about it because Anthony could be a little unusual,
a little odd at times. That freezer sat in the
basement for a few weeks until one Saturday morning when
(13:20):
Ken's wife planned to make some spaghetti and meatballs. She
thought she would just borrow some hamburger from the freezer
and then replace it later. No harm done. Ken's wife
told him that she removed the three screws that secured
the padlock. To the man, she must have really wanted
spaghetti and meatballs to go into someone she doesn't know
(13:41):
freezer and the hope she might find some Hamburger meeting
in there. Don't screws the padlocks breaks and gets in there.
I don't believe that for one minute. Kathleen Murphy, she
just wanted to know what was in the freezer. Eat
in the freezer. She wanted to eat that spaghetti. They
were going to make spaghetti that night. But she didn't
want to runto the gross Kathleen, she didn't know what
was in there. She didn't know if there was a
ground bay freezing. But the reality is, it doesn't matter
(14:04):
why she went into the freezer. What matters is what
she found, what she got in there. John Limley. Yeah,
she begins rummaging through the freezer and comes upon a
large garbage bag inside. This is when Ken's wife says
she immediately got a bad feeling. She put everything back in,
replaced the three screws, and called her husband. And when
(14:27):
Kenn arrives at home, he opens the freezer and found
that whatever was inside the bag was frozen solid. So
he got out a knife. Well, is everybody trying to
tell me nobody looked in the bag? You know? Joining
me is Stephen Lampley, a detective extraordinaire. Stephen. Everybody better
(14:47):
get their story straight and tell the truth. They can't see. Wow,
I want a spaghetti and meatballs. And I just thought
maybe this freezer that's padlock in the basement, that belongs
to somebody else might have some frozen meatballs in it.
So I went and broke into it, unscrewed all the hinges,
(15:07):
took off the padlock, and found a dead body. No,
she has to tell the truth. I was curious, I
had a bad feeling. I opened the freezer. It's in
my basement. I can open whenever I want to in
my basement because little lies like that. If it is
a lie, maybe she just was on an insatiable quest
(15:29):
for meatballs. But even a little lie can ruin a prosecution.
Stephen Lampley, Nancy, you're absolutely correct, and you know well
more than the rest of us to about prosecuting murder cases.
I don't believe that as well. Of course, that's my opinion.
I think you're right. I think she was curious as
to what was in the freezer, and that's when they
(15:51):
made the discovery on the body parts. And of course
it's my understanding that all of her body parts were
in there. Okay, thank you for that last touch. Not
all the body parts were in there. You know. To
doctor Wendy Dickinson, what is it about human curiosity? Why
not just admit I was curious about why they stored
the freezer here and I opened the padlock. Why make
(16:13):
up a story about me both well, I just I
have to imagine that after she found the body in there,
she's completely freaked out and afraid that she was going
to be implicated in some way. But I think you're right,
it's the core of it. It sounds like she's curious
and I wanted to know what's in the POWD blocked
fridge freezer. Why do you have a power block on
your freezer? That's not normal? And I'll tell you another
(16:34):
reason I'm worried. To Nimahadatti, former California prosecutor NeiMa you
know this jury charge as well as I do. I'm
sure the jury it is there the sole province of
a jury to determine credibility of a witness. In other words,
are they telling the truth or not? Not the judge,
not the prosecutor, not the defense. And there is a
(16:56):
jury charge that the judge gives at the end of
every case before the jury makes the deliberations, and it
is if you disbelieve the witness in any part and
some in part in whole, you're entitled to throw out
all of their testimony from your deliberations. Now, think about it, Nima,
(17:19):
follow me along with this for a moment. Tell me
what you think. If that's true, and you have one
nut back in the jury room and they decide this
woman that opens the padlock is lying about why she
went into the freezer, they could throw out all of
her testimony. You know what, That leaves a perfect story
for the defense that she did it, that she and
(17:42):
her husband did it, and they're trying to pin it
on somebody else. Because if you could throw out all
of her testimony about discovering the body, then the state's
got a problem. Yeah, this is pretty terrible for the
prosecution when you have a witness that even a little
bit a little white light could destroy the credibility and
that would be the end of their entire testimony. And
(18:03):
without this piece, it would make this case difficult for
the prosecution. So bottom line, I believe the woman is
completely innocent. I think she got curious and opened up
the freezer, as I would too. Padlock freezer on my basement,
no way, and she found the worst discovery of all,
a dead body. So question, how did Shannon Graves get
(18:27):
into the freezer? Not on her own because she's dismembered
crime stories with Nancy Grace. Youngstown City Prosecutor Dana Lance said,
(18:53):
just after Graves was last seen five months ago, Layton
moved in, drove graves car, used herself phone, and even
cared for her dog. Then, on July twenty fourth, a
witness told police Late and Novoa moved a Padlock freezer
to a Devitt Avenue home and cammel. Five days later,
the homeowner called police after finding human remains inside. Well,
(19:14):
that's certainly a love match. Artiro Novoa, who is Shannon's
then boyfriend at the time she goes missing her live in,
he's already slung up with another woman, John Limley, another
woman who is driving Graves's car, using her cell phone,
taking care of her dog. What right? And this name
Arturo Novoa is one we haven't heard yet because that's
(19:36):
not the name he was using when he was with
his girlfriend. Also when he was with these friends that
were keeping a friend a freezer. Yes, Artiro Novoa is
the same guy. I think you said Anthony that wanted
somebody else to quote store his freezer. So correct, Anthony
Gonzalez and Artura Novoa one and the same. But his
(19:59):
name is really our tour of Novola. You know what
I always love And let me throw this to doctor
Wendy Dickinson, Atlanta psychologist, founder of Grow Counseling. I love
reading an indictment to a jury because you know, when
you start a felony case, the prosecution reads the indictment,
and I love reading that indictment out loud, especially when
(20:20):
there are a string of aliases behind the defendant's name.
For instance, Jackie Howard aka also known as Jahoe, also
known as the Jack. Yeah, and you go on and
on and on and on, and finally the jury's like,
I don't have an alias, I don't have a quote
street name. Why does this person have so many names?
(20:43):
Having multiple names? It's never a sign of good things, Wendy, Yeah.
I mean when you look at somebody who has a
string of multiple names, you start to wonder what is
it that they're trying to cover up? You know, we
look at behavior that's outside of the normal curve of behavior,
and like you said, most of us use one name.
We're straightforward about who we are. That's our identity. When
somebody has these versions of themselves and they're trying to
(21:04):
portray in different ways, it starts to raise questions about
what their real intentions are. Same thing, Aland when a
guy has multiple cell phones, Alan, I'm always suspicious Why
I have more than one cell phone? Who do you
want to call on one phone versus the other phone? Alan, Well,
ones for business and once for family. M Okay, let
(21:24):
me go back to you, John Linley, Crime online dot
Com investigator reporters. So we figured this much out. But
what I don't know? Who is Layton? I know Artiro
Novoa aka Anthony? Who is Layton? That is our tour
Novoah's new girlfriend Katrina Layton, or maybe she's not a
new girlfriend. Maybe she's been a girlfriend the whole time.
That's for investigators to find out. Both of them had
(21:46):
been booked into the County jail. Youngstown Police tell us
that although Novoa denied knowing anything about a body inside
a freezer, he had the keys to the padlock when
he was arrested. Okay, that's pretty damnage, do Doctor Michelle Dupree.
Now we really need you, doctor Dupree, medical examiner out
of South Carolina, author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide. Just
(22:09):
the title alone makes me want to stay up at
night and read that, and sadly, I'm not kidding. Homicide
Investigation Field Guide. Wow, okay, doctor Michelle Dupree. We know
that this young girl, twenty eight years old, Shannon Graves,
is in the freezer. She's dismembered. How do you how
(22:29):
do you salvage a frozen body? And what does literally
NonStop freezing temperature due to human remains? But I think
that's all very good questions, and there's several things we
have to consider. One is, we do have to defrost
the body, but we have to do it in such
a way so that it doesn't occur rapidly so there's
as little damage as possible to the skin and to
(22:50):
the tissue. Well, how do you do that? Wait? Wait, wait, wait, wait,
you just told me something I've never thought of. I've
had plenty of cases where the body have been frozen,
but you're telling me you have to unthought it in
a particular way so as to decrease the likelihood of damage.
What do you mean by that, well, so that if
we need to do microscopic studies, and we always try
to do microscopic studies in our autopsies so that we
(23:12):
can preserve as much tissue as possible without the frozen artifact.
So we just defrost it slowly. You mean you just
let the body sit there. You certainly don't warm it
up in any way, do you. That's right, We just
let it most we sit there. Okay, so let me
understand this. The body parts are in garbage bags, John Limley, Yes, correct, Okay.
(23:33):
What happens? Then the meatball aficionado finds the dead body
and the padlocked freezer. Whoops, the I unscrewed the padlock
and calls her husband. I still don't believe that without
knowing what was in the garbage bag, she called her husband.
I think she looked in there and she saw a body.
But that's just me. But they better get that and
nailed down before they go to trial. The husband comes home,
(23:53):
they confirm its body, and then what happens. This is
when very quickly police discover the identity of our Toura
Novoa aka Anthony Gonzalez and his girlfriend charged them. Now,
as for this girlfriend, Katrina Layton. It's discovered that during
this time period she had since Shannon's disappearance, she had
(24:16):
essentially taken over Shannon's life, even taking care of her
dog and driving her car after her appearance. And one
important point, Katrina Layton was also the one who bought
that freezer where the body was kept for who knows
how long. Okay, this is what I don't understand, and
I'm not to that point yet because I don't know
(24:37):
all the facts. But how does one person murder somebody,
dismember the body and everybody else just goes along with it.
I'm going to go out to my partner in crime,
Alan Duke. Alan, you and I have covered so many cases.
You were at SNN long before me. You were with
me so many nights at HLN. We there was so
(25:00):
many cases where people will commit a crime, which is
bad enough, but those other people around it in the
mix that knew what had happened, that went a lot.
Here you've got this woman Layton, I guess, wearing her clothes,
taking care of her dog, driving her car. I mean,
she's got to know. Yeah, it's like in the Tera
Grinstead case, the trial going on bo Duke's helped his
(25:21):
friend Ryan burned the body in a pecan roag. Why
would you do that? You didn't kill that person, Why
would you have anything to do with it? I don't. Again,
I'm going to go to shrink on that. But let
me get the rest of the fact. So Linley, they
identify that it is Shannon. No, no, they don't yet.
They identify that the freezer was brought over there by
Artiro Novoa under the name Anthony, and then they pieced
(25:44):
together that the girlfriend Layton has been driving Shannon's car
and taking care of her dog. Okay, then what happens, Well,
they discovered that after Shannon was killed and locked away
in that freezer, this girlfriend, Katrina Layton, she had blamed
Grave's identity and lived her life, but she didn't really,
(26:04):
you know, she didn't go to the point of, you know,
changing her name and identification and such. Novoa and Leyton
allegedly moved inside of Shannon's home, used her credit cards,
even caring for her dog. All the while the community
is searching for this young woman. So basically, Katrina moved
in with Arturo started living Shannon's life. She didn't hold
(26:28):
herself out to be Shannon. She just lived her life,
using her phone, caring for a dog, apparently the two
just driving her car, wearing her clothes. I mean, but
that is impersonating her. John Linley, Kathleen Murphy. That's gonna
look horrible if this ever goes to court, that she
just walked into somebody's home. How could she argues she
didn't know anything had happened to Shannon Graves when she's
(26:50):
taking care of her dog, wearing her clothes, driving her car,
and using her cell phone with all of her contacts
in it. Oh, Nancy, She didn't say she was impersonating.
She said she was just used her item, using her ID,
using her home, taking care of her dog. But to her,
that's not her boyfriend, her apartment, her car, her driver's license,
(27:11):
her credit cards, her dog, her cell phone. I mean,
she's not. What am I missing? That is impersonal? That's
I come into your house and I'll start wearing your clothes,
taking care of your children and having dinner with your husband,
driving your car and calling people on your cell phone.
And I'm gonna say, I'm not impersonating you. Fine, have it.
Your white Nemaha Dati former California prosecutor. She's in deep,
(27:35):
deep trouble. Yeah, she is. This is pretty terrible, using
somebody's ID, using the car, everything that is impersonating somebody
and seems like she's an accessory. There's no way she
can have known about any of this. She needs to
find a really good defense attorney and separate herself and
start to fight as soon as possible. Take a listen
to Youngstown Lieutenant Doug bbof Nick and her friend A. W.
(27:58):
K be into with you. Arrest made. Two individuals were
arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse, and then
the other individual was also additionally charged with obstructing justice
in connection with the remains found in Campmell. We believe
that we are investigating it because we believe that it
(28:19):
originated in the city of Youngstown and was taken the
camel Are those two people are troa in Katrina Taylor.
That's correct, he's ald Us wearing Camelot Street house. It
was on Devitt Avenue in camel What can you say
about the body those found? It appears to be a female. However,
(28:40):
we weren't able to closely examine it. The body was
taken to Cuyahoga County Corner's office where there's going to
be a forensic examination earlier this week. We'll be able
to determine the hopefully the cause of death. The next
steps today in a murder case that has garnered national attention,
two people accusing the murder of a woman and then
putting her body in a freezer, we're in court today.
(29:01):
First News reporter Tyler Trill was there and has the
latest from the courtroom. The couple young Sound police accused
of hiding a missing woman's body inside a freezer pleaded
not guilty to all three of their charges inside a
Mahoney County courtroom this morning. Arturo Novoa and Katrina Layton
are charged with aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse
of a corpse after a police discovered the body of
(29:22):
Shannon Graves in a freezer and a camel home in July.
They've both been in Mahoney County jail ever since. Grays
is the ex girlfriend of Novoah. The two lived together
in a home in Youngstown. Prosecutors say Katrina Layton then
assumed Shannon Grave's life after she had died. Bond was
set at a million dollars for both Novoah and Layton
(29:43):
back in July. That bond continues. Out to John Linley,
Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, I noticed that these
two are charged now with aggravated murderer of this beautiful
young girl, Shannon Grays. But two other people are charged
with obstructing justice. So bottom line, this Ohio man thirty
one years old, Orchia Novoa, hid his girlfriend's body in
(30:04):
a freezer while living with another woman, also in her thirties,
who assumed Shannon Graves identity. It's Artira Novoa and Katrina
Leyton arrested by Youngstown police. I learned about this story
conveniently at a restaurant slash Bar. I was not drinking
(30:25):
across the street from the courthouse in Youngstown, and what
I heard left me shocked and upset, not just about
the murder, but the fact that people would stand by
and be part of this scheme. To John Limley, I
noticed that two people are charged, Novoah and Leyton with
Shannon's murder, But who are the other two people that
(30:47):
are charged with obstruction? The names in the indictment Andrew
Herman and Michelle Enfield. These two were charged on engaging
in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with evidence twelve
counts there, and abuse of a corpse. In short, they
assisted Novoa with getting a rid hiding the body of
(31:12):
Shannon Graves. I just want to make sure, John Linley,
of one thing. The two names you read out, they're
not the meatball lover right, they're not the people that
claim they find the body and they're shocked and they okay,
so they're in the clear at they're the good guys
in this scenario. Who are these two other people? How
could they? You know? I don't get it. Nimahadatti, former
(31:33):
California prosecutor. I've seen it before where other people just
stand by and let something horrible happen and help in
the cover up and do nothing. Yeah, this is pretty terrible.
It seems like they actually helped conceal It seems like
with that obstruction of justice charge, they helped conceal the
crime as well. And it's just disgusting. And the apartment
(31:57):
that they lived in was actually Shannon Graves's apartment. Artiro Novoa,
the boyfriends and then Layton basically assume her life, all
her belongings. They take over her life. These two have
now landed in a court of law. Take a listen
to this the next steps today in a murder case
(32:18):
that has garnered national attention, two people accusing the murder
of a woman and then putting her body in a freezer.
We're in court today. First News reporter Tyler Trill was
there and has the latest from the courtroom. The couple
young Sound police accused of hiding a missing woman's body
inside a freezer pleaded not guilty to all three of
their charges inside a Mahoney County courtroom this morning. Artiro
(32:39):
Novoa and Katrina Layton are charged with aggravated murder, tampering
with evidence, and abuse of a corpse after a police
discovered the body of Shannon Graves in a freezer and
a camel home in July. They've both been in Mahoney
County jail ever since. Graves is the ex girlfriend of Novoah.
Graves family reported her missing back in February. The two
lived together in a home in Youngstown. Prosecutors said Katrina
(33:02):
Layton then assumed Shannon Grave's life after she had died.
Bond was set at a million dollars for both Novoa
and Layton back in July that bond continues. Law enforcement
also searched the couple's home. Those that were charged with
obstructing and helping hide the body, and they say, quote,
the measures this group allegedly took to cover up the
(33:23):
gruesome homicide are incomprehensible. That's from the age might Dwing.
These three defendants are accused of engaging in a pattern
of corrupt activity and attempt to mislead authorities and conceal
the atrocious crime. Wow, how long they got away with
her body being dismembered and frozen and a freezer sitting
(33:46):
in somebody else's basement is just amazing to me. To
Detective Stephen Lampley, how do you get away with something
for that long glance? It depends on the situation. You
look at Jeffrey Dahmer. Friends, of course, this is no way,
this is not a serial killing that Jeffrey Dahmer got
away with this forever. I mean, it seemed like it
(34:06):
was an eternity that he was killing and giving away
with it, and d was using a preaser himself. It
just depends on the circumstance that it can be done
and has been done and may be done again. I'm
also learning that the missing woman's body, of course, discovered
in a freezer, was not complete. Her entire body has
(34:27):
still not been found. I've also learned she was only
identified through fingerprints in DNA. To medical examiner and author
doctor Michelle Dupree, what does that tell you they had
to identify her through through fingerprints in DNA. Well, that
tells me basically that the body was in a condition
that it was unidentifiable by any other means, And identifying
(34:51):
a diseased person through fingerprints is relatively easy as fond
as we have tissue again that we can use to
get a fingerprint from and something to match it too. Well,
in my mind, Nemaha, Daddy, I don't know if you're
thinking like me, but what it tells me is she
doesn't have a head. They cannot identify her, They cannot
be in facial recognition. They had to use fingerprints in DNA.
That's what it tells me. Nema. I don't know, but
(35:13):
I mean, they couldn't identify her through gental records, They
could not identify her through facial recognition. They had to
use her fingerprints. Nema. Yeah, this points to me this
was all premeditated. They thought about this. This was done
in a very articulate and disgusting matter and was well
thought out. It's terrible, but Nan she may not have
(35:34):
had a head, but she also could have just been
too decomposed to have visual recognition. And unless we have
something to compare general records too, and we have an
idea who that person is, there's no judge base in
the sky for everybody who general records, So fingerprints are
an excellent way to do that. You know, what does
that do to a family, doctor Wendy Dickinson, that you
don't have your child's whole body to bury. Potentially her
(35:57):
head or some other part of her body is missing. Well,
I mean it's obviously a trauma on top of a trauma.
I mean the family has already been through so much
with her being missing and not knowing what's happening and
finding out all of these details, but then not to
be able to have the closure of being able to
bury her and see her for one last time. It's
extremely difficult on their family on their grieving process and
(36:21):
really can lead to some pretty complex ramifications for the grieving.
To John Lonely, Crime online dot Com investigative reporter, where
does the case stand now. Well, before I get to that,
it's interesting to point out because we've talked about where
these extra body parts that were missing have gone. This
indictment shows that they disposed of graves body by both
(36:45):
chopping it up the parts that they found in the
freezer and dissolving part of it in acid before sticking
it in the freezer. Prosecutors alleged that these people helped
burn graves possessions, used her phone and cart, and earlier
this month, one of them, i Enfeld, even threatened someone
who dared to ask her questions about Shannon and her disappearance.
(37:09):
So at this point, first of all, Katrina Layton reached
a plea deal. She was able to avoid sentencing by
simply agreeing to testify against her boyfriend. Now the other two.
The trial date at this point is set for June third,
and this is when Artura Novoa and his co defendants
(37:31):
Andrew Hermann and his wife Michelle Ienfeld, they will all
go to trial on murder and disposal of Grave's body.
At this hour, Artura Novoa heading to trial for murderer
and abuse of a corpse. But what I will never
understand is why other people willingly go along with evil,
(37:52):
and stand by and let it happen, and do nothing.
We wait as justice unfals. Nancy Grace crimes Toory, signing
off goodbye friend,
Host
Nancy Grace
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!