MISSING: Sherree Brown

Welcome to Primetime Crime. I'm your host, Kylie. Let's talk right now in true crime, and then together we are going to work on warming up some cold cases. Let's go The Homicide Tree, a new true crime podcast limited series coming November twenty ninth, twenty twenty four. Wherever you get your podcasts? How do families in the trenches of grief and despair navigate? How to seek justice for a loved one? Where do families go after a loved one is missing, murdered, or kidnapped? This holiday season, a group of women and true crime podcasting have come together to raise money to help those in need of guidance while they navigate the unthinkable, seeking justice and advocating further loved one during trauma and tragedy. Shores of Strength is a nonprofit which aims to be a guiding light to those who need help. How can they share their story? Who can they get to listen to them? How can they raise money for legal feeara. By donating to Shores of Strength, you're helping victims this holiday season. Each donation is a symbolic ornament placed upon the Homicide Tree in remembrance of someone's loved one who should be here this holiday season. Each episode is a different case, a different person who should be here, deserves to be here but isn't, and each case is told by a host of a weekly true crime podcast. Subscribe to the Homicide Tree wherever you get your podcasts. All episodes will be available at once on November twenty ninth. This is a podcaster's give back fundraiser produced by Fireeyes Media LLC, and all money donated goes directly back to victims with the nonprofit Shores of Strength and Remember, You're wanted, you're loved, and you deserve to be. Here this holiday season. Stay safe out there. Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Primetime Crime. It's Kylie. I am back from my two weeks off, which honestly felt like more. I feel like I've missed so much in the true crime world in these last couple of weeks. I'm going to do my best to kind of catch you guys up right now in right now in true crime, and then we're going to go ahead and get into this week's episode. So, first thing is first, Jose Ibara, who was the man who was on trial for killing college student Lake and Riley, was found guilty on all ten counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, which is exactly what should have happened. He opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, I think because he thought that he could manipulate the judge. But he was wrong, and the judge found him guilty and then sentenced him to life in prison. I listened to every single one of the victim impact statements that Laken's friends and family gave, and some of them were so hard, art wrenchingly, awfully and horribly sad. I just wanted to cry listening to every single one of them. If you sat through that and listen to the awful emotion that these poor family members of hers and her friends have had to go through following this brutal murder and attack on Lincoln, it really puts it in a perspective. So I'm so glad that they found him guilty, and I'm glad that he is never going to see the light of day again. News in the Idaho four case b K. I don't like to say his name on here, so I call him BKA. The judge has ruled that the death penalty is not going to be taken off of the table, meaning that it is still up for a possibility that if BK is found guilty of the murder of these four young adults in Idaho University of Idaho, that he could be sentenced to the death penalty. More will come out about that in the coming months. The trial is slated to happen in twenty twenty five, but I will continue to keep you guys updated. They ended up getting a new. Judge on the trial because it was moved to a different location. So this judge is seems to be no nonsense and doesn't seem like they're playing around, So I am grateful for that. In other true crime news, Susan Smith was luckily denied parole. So Susan Smith murdered her two young sons in nineteen ninety four in South Carolina. She put them in the car and then drove the car into a lake and then made up the story about how her kids were abducted and tried to blame it on this African American mail and the whole time it was her. So she has been in prison wheeling and dealing, being a swindler like she is, and she was up for parole now her ex husband, who was the father of these two children, has been very vocal throughout the years about how he does not think she needs to be released, and he went to this parole hearing and spoke to the parole board and luckily they denied her because she is allegedly, in my opinion, not rehabilitated. She hasn't shown any remorse. She is constantly in communication with random men on the outside behind while she's behind bars, She's in communication with these men. She's talking about having more kids. She is utterly just not okay in my opinion. That is my personal belief, and I am so glad that her parole was denied. That is one good thing that has happened in the true crime world in the last few weeks. One of many good things, I should say. We have a couple other trial updates and sentencing updates to go over. Sarah Boone was officially sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her boyfriend George. Torres now Sarah. Her whole defense was that George was abusive and she essentially got him to play this game where they were doing like a hide and seek game, and he ended up inside of a suitcase, and she zipped it shut and went to bed, and then he ended up suffocating and dying as a result of this quote unquote game. So that was her whole defense, But there was a lot like this trial was a wild ride. So needless to say, she was found guilty, she was sentenced to life in prison, and two wrongs don't make her right. I'm not saying that he wasn't an abusive person towards her. I do not know he might have been, but that is a really, really horrific way to take someone's life, To slowly suffocate them while they cry for your help while you're videoing it. There are so many components of this case that we're just really really disturbing. And I do think that the jury got it right, and I think the sentencing fits the crime. And I hope that George's family gets some sense of closure knowing that she's never going to be able to harm anybody else. So that is the update in that. The other case update I have sentencing update is the Black Swan murder trial Ashley Benifield. She was sentenced to twenty years in prison with the possibility of getting out after ten and she is another one who is claiming it was a self defense type of situation and she ended up killing her husband, who is named Doug Benifield. She ended up shooting him and killing him, again claiming that it. Was self defense. But she really didn't do herself any favors when she testified to what happened to her. And I just don't think that the jury really bought the battered woman claims, not saying again that she wasn't an abused woman. It very well could have been that situation, but Doug had his back to her when she shot him, meaning it wasn't an active self defense situation. So again I do think the jury got it right. I think the sentencing fits the crime. She is eligible for parole in ten years, so we will find out what happens with that as ten years goes by, which at this rate, ten years is going to be here before we know it. Okay, So we need to talk about the Menenda's brothers because there is information in regards to that. So the original DA who had recommended resentencing, he is no longer the DA because this other individual named Nathan Hoffman, he was elected, so he is the new LA District Attorney. So he himself is saying that he needs to set and go through all of the evidence, all of the paperwork, everything that is in relation to the menandas brother's case, and go from there. So we are. Essentially in a holding pattern as far as when things are going to start to transpire. So there's not going to be anything going on with their case for now. There was supposed to be a hearing in December, that of course, has been delayed because of the election and this new DA getting in office. So it's going to be interesting to see what happens, what he's going to come up with, what his recommendations are going to be. But I will be sure to keep you guys updated. All right, there is one more thing I definitely want to talk about. TMZ dropped this today that OJ Simpson's ex bodyguard claims that he has a murder confession recording and then allegedly he took this recording on a thumb drive and gave it to the Bloomington Police Department, and they are now saying that there was no confession on these thumb drives by OJ Simpson. It was basically just this bodyguard on these thumb drives talking to himself. So I don't really know why this ended up being a huge headline, but it ended up being a headline for a hot minute, and I wanted to talk about it because if TMZ reports it, I'm going to talk about it. It's just who I am as a person. I live for the TMZ alerts, although my heart drops every time I get one. But this one was pretty notable because it has to do with. OJ and there had been some I guess you could say, rumors when he passed away that there was a quote unquote deathbed confession. Who knows if that's true. We don't really know, but I guess this guy just wanted his fifteen minutes. I'm not really sure, but I did want to talk about it because it was a pretty big piece of news today this on Tuesday, and then as quickly as it came out, it was pretty much debunked. So we are going to put that room to rest. There is no confession allegedly for MOJ. Simpson. There are a. Couple of other topics of right now in true crime conversation that I do want to talk about, notably the disappearance of this Hannah gal that is from Hawaii. There is a lot going on with the story, so I'm going to wait until I know a little bit more because things are kind of developing, so to say, in the last twenty four hours, So I'm going to wait to talk about that on next week's Right now, in True Crime, I'm hoping I'll have a little bit more to go off of, a little bit more confirmation. But if you have been keeping up with it, it has been a wild dang ride, as is all of this stuff. I feel like True Crime just takes me on this roller coaster of life, and it's really even harder having a podcast because I feel like I'm constantly trying to keep up with like every current relevant case update information TMZ alert that has to do with true crime, which is usually Meninda's brothers and oj Simpson. I feel like I am in a constant roller coaster of true crime, and I do my best to keep up. I know that there are things that slip through the cracks, but I sure do try my best. But the note section of my phone is a different dimension. It is insane in there. But with all of that being said, we are going to go ahead and get into this week's episode. Okay, guys, today we are jumping into a brand new, unsold case. This one was brought to my attention via social media on Facebook, and it is one that desperately needs our attention. It's a relatively newer case in comparison to so many of the others that I share about. But we've already passed the one year anniversary of this woman's disappearance, so time is of the sin. So today I'm going to be telling you about the unsolved disappearance of a fifty one year old woman named Scherie Denise Brown from Newport News, Virginia. So Cherie was reported missing by her family on October twenty fourth of twenty twenty three. So I'm going to go into detail about what was going on in Cherie's life prior to her disappearing and a really important clue to what her family believes led to her disappearance and possibly who could be involved. Chari is a mother, daughter, and friend and was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and was in the process of undergoing chemo treatments for her cancer. She had last spoken with her daughter Alexis on October seventeenth of twenty twenty three. They talked about Shari's granddaughter who was in the hospital, and Cheri had also shared with Alexis that she had been assaulted. On October seventh, there was a man who had attempted to pull Cherie into his truck and ended up being successful. He then took her behind the seven to eleven where there was a car wash, and he tried to sexually and physically assault her. She was luckily able to escape and went to the police and filed a police report. Now, I haven't been exactly. Able to find anything about who this man was, if law enforcement questioned him in regards to the attack, or anything, because the Newsport News Police Department has been very tight lipped about the case and this whole story that led up to Shari basically disappearing off the face of the earth. I assume that they know who he is, know his identity, and that he has been questioned in regards to this attack, but I really can't find a whole lot more regarding this man or his involvement alleged potential involvement, but needless to say, after speaking with Alexis on the seventeenth, Shari went missing with no con tech being made with her family, and she also missed her chemo appointments that she had scheduled her upcoming chemo appointment and then the subsequent appointments. Her family then reported her missing on October twenty fourth, after not being able to contact her for days. So Cherie was last. Seen on I don't know if it's Dafa or Dafia Daphia Circle in Newport News, Virginia. Her belongings were left behind inside of the apartment that she was staying at with the roommate, and this is stuff that she would normally take with her. She left her phone behind, her purse behind. That is very out of the ordinary for somebody who is going off to do daily errands to leave behind. Law enforcement ended up putting out an Ashanti alert forty one days after Shari was reported missing, and police say that the Ashanti alert is still in effect to this day. The DOJ says the. Ashanti alerts may be issued one an adult between the ages of eighteen and sixty four is missing and meets at least one of the following criteria. The person has a proven mental or physical disability. The person is missing under circumstances that indicate that the person may be in danger or their disappearance may not have been voluntary, like an abduction or kidnapping. So the family very much expressed frustration with them not issuing the Ashanti alert earlier because they said, this is not like her. She does not go without contacting her kids. She's very involved with her grandkids. This is so unlike her. Her mom came forward and said, this again, is not like her to go without contacting us. She missed her chemo appointment. Something is wrong. But law enforcement came forward to defend their actions and saying that they finally decided that they were going to issue the Ashanti alert because they believe that Scheri not going to chemo and getting the medicine that she needed for her cancer could indicate that she is in danger. But this goes back. To when somebody comes forward and says their family, someone in their family is missing and they don't feel good about it. Take them seriously. If they are saying, this is very unlike her. She missed her chemo appointment on day two. We need to be taking this seriously. Law enforcement needs to be taking it seriously. She is obviously in danger, and when somebody does go missing, time is of the essence the first forty eight hours. Are so important and this was what did I say? Forty one days after the fact, that is a long time for this family to be racking their brain about what possibly could have happened to Shari, and forty one days later they issue this Ashanti alert, which I'm so glad that they did, but they did it forty one days too late in my opinion. I also personally think that the incident with this predator guy that attacked schery ten days earlier could indicate that something happened to Shari in relation to that assault. And I really hope and would imagine that this avenue has been investigated and if nothing else, this man has been brought in for questioning and was hopefully at least charged in some capacity with assault because he did pulchery into his vehicle and then he assaulted her, which is not okay in any capacity. So the WRKR news station ended up doing an interview with the police chief named Steve Drew in regards to where Shari's case stands today, and he is quoted as to saying, quote, we do a deep dive into individuals, where do they visit, who do they hang out with? Who do they talk to, what are some of their characteristics and their lifestyles. Those type of things are important for us to get an idea of where she might be and who she might have been last seen with end quote. He then goes on to say, we're trying to pull all of these pieces together. Someone has a small piece of information that could be the corner piece that we're looking for. End quote. He then goes on to say that he understands the family's pain and frustration, and detectives are working hard to locate Cherie Brown. He also said that officers have canvas places that she's known to frequent, they have spoken with people who know her, and they have contacted the FBI and Homeland Security for their assistance as well. He doesn't really go into any detail about the assault that happened ten days prior to her going missing, which I think is probably a pretty important piece of this puzzle. I am not trying to say that that person who assaulted her is the person who's responsible for this, but it just seems so coincidental that it all happened within a ten day time span, and if someone is going to go through the trouble of trying to essentially take somebody into their vehicle and then attempt to assault them. They are capable of pretty heinous and horrific things. So that person needs to be questioned in such a big way in Shari's disappearance, and maybe investigators have questioned him. There is nothing that I have found that has said that this person has been eliminated as a person of interest, that they've spoken with him, And it could be one of those situations where they are keeping things close to the investigation in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. So as far as all of. That goes, I really don't know where anything stands in regards to this individual. But more importantly, Sharia is still missing. We are over a year in and Sharia is still missing. We just had Thanksgiving and she was not at Thanksgiving with her family because something horrible had to have happened to keep her away from her family. She has not gone to her chemo treatments that she needs for her breast cancer. She has not been heard from by family or by friends. She hasn't talked with her grandchildren, who she was extremely close with. She hasn't talked with her parents, who she was extremely close with her kids, who she had a great relationship with and they would often talk on the phone. There is just too much going on with Serisa's appearance to look at it and not think that she disappeared under suspicious circumstances, especially not going to her chemo appointments. That is of themost importance when you are a cancer patient that you make your appointments and go and get the treatment that. You need, and for her to miss that really just tells me that she. Was put into a situation where she was not physically able to get where she needed to be for her chemo appointments, and that makes me think that something is seriously wrong. Along with her leaving her belongings behind and then not being in contact with her family, it all kind of adds up, in my opinion, to somebody did something to Shari, somebody took Shari against her will, and we need to find her. We need to figure out what is going on so she can come home to her family and come home safe to her family. Her family still very much holds out hope that they'll get answers as to what happened to her, Her daughter, her parents, and all of her friends and family. Want answers and want to know where Shari is and that she's okay. I felt it was so so important to share her story today because again, somebody could have the missing piece of the puzzle that leads us to finding her or leads us to the person that took her allegedly. As always, I say it all the time, it's so important to share these stories because more eyes and ears on them is so important, especially as time passes, because time is truly of the essence. I wish that I had known about this story last year when it first initially happened, but there hasn't been a ton of media coverage on it. And every story is just as important as an X and they all deserve to be shared. So I very much want to thank my friend d'artagnia for bringing this one to my attention, and I have been able to find enough information on it that I can put together an episode on it. Again, this one is a little bit of a shorter one, but Shari's story is so important, and we have to give these cases that don't get that much attention the attention that they need and deserve, because somebody out there could have seen Cherie. They might have a clue as to her whereabouts, or they might know something that somebody has said, somebody in passing has said something and that could lead us to Shari and getting closure for her family and hopefully finding Shari safe. That is always the end goal in this case is bringing somebody home safely well and they are able to reintegrate into their lives and get back to their friends and family. So that is what we want in this case. So I'm going to. Be sharing some pictures of Shari on my social media pages, my Facebook and my Instagram. If you don't follow me on there, please go over and follow because I do post a lot of things regarding my episodes. But I also do a Unsolved Sunday spotlight. Where I will highlight a case that is unsolved and again needs our attention. So my Facebook page is Primetime Crime. Crime is with a K again and my Instagram is Primetime Crime Pod and like I. Said, I do post a lot over there. We also bo just launched The Homicide Tree, which was a collaborative podcast that I did with some other women in true crime podcasting where we all took on a couple of cases and told you about people that will not be with their families this holiday season because their lives were taken in a tragic way. We are asking people to donate five ten dollars, so on and so forth to help us decorate our virtual tree in honor of these victims the twelve different stories that we did, and all of the proceeds raised will go to a nonprofit that is called Shores of Strength, which was founded by my friend Jen, another true crime podcaster, and her organization does amazing things for victims families of victims, helping them get the resources that they need in order to navigate the very difficult times when a loved one goes missing or a loved one is found murdered. We are really doing this to give back to the community, the true crime community that very much struggles with different resources during those horrible times of tragedies. So if you haven't listened to the Homicide Tree yet, please go find it wherever you get your podcasts, and you can buy us a coffee quote unquote send us an ornament essentially, and all of that money goes directly to Shores of Strength. So I do want to give a shout out to all of the gals that contributed to the homicide Tree and volunteered their time and their talent to put it in to this passion project that Jules came up with. So shout out to all of them. They are all amazing. I am honored to work alongside of them. And they are going to be doing another charity podcast and I will be sharing more about that in the coming months and weeks. I am not going to be part of that one, just because I am trying really hard to not overwhelm myself because I am the queen of taking on more and more and more. But I will be supporting it obviously, and I'm really excited to hear what they will all come up with for this next one. So I thank you guys so much for listening to Chari's episode Again, please share. I'm going to be sharing pictures of her on Instagram and Facebook. If you aren't following the podcast, please go follow the podcast on whatever podcasting platform you prefer to use. And if you haven't left me a review, please leave me a review. That really helps me grow and it helps push the podcast out to other people in the true crime world who potentially could have the missing piece of the puzzle that we need. To solve these cases. So I thank you guys so much. I hope you guys had a fantastic holiday with your family and your friends on Thanksgiving, and I will see you next week for a brand new unsolved case. Have a great one and stay safe. Bye the Upper Then at