Prosecutors Accuse Defense of Humiliating Diddy Witness "Mia" | Crime Alert 6AM 06.03 .25
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Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now, Sean Combs' lawyers push for a mistrial. The judge denied it. What else lies ahead in the testimony? Standing by, our John Limley. John, what's the latest? In Manhattan federal court on Monday, the high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean Diddy Combs entered a pivotal phase. The defense concluded its cross-examination of Mia, a

a former assistant who has accused Combs of repeated sexual assault during her employment from 2009 to 2017. Under intense questioning by defense attorney Brian Steele, Mia was presented with past social media posts and text messages that appeared to praise Combs, including a 2019 message where she dreamed he rescued her from R. Kelly.

Steele suggested these communications undermined her allegations. Mia responded that such expressions were a coping mechanism, reflecting the psychological manipulation she endured. The defense further questioned Mia's credibility by highlighting the delay in her disclosure of the alleged abuse, noting she first met with prosecutors in January 2024, but only revealed her experiences in June of that year.

Mia explained that control and isolation by Combs prevented her from confiding in others, including fellow accuser Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors objected to the defense's line of questioning, accusing Steele of humiliating the witness and potentially deterring other victims from testifying. While Judge Arum Submaranian disagreed that the questioning was inappropriate, he cautioned Steele on tone and repetitiveness of his inquiries.

In a recent development, Combs' legal team filed a motion for a retrial, alleging that government leaks, including a 2016 hotel surveillance video aired by CNN, have prejudiced the jury pool and deprived Combs of a fair trial. The prosecution denied any involvement in the leaks, labeling the defense's claims as baseless and an attempt to exclude damning evidence.

Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, remains in custody at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years to life in prison. Thanks, John. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories. More crime and justice news after this.

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Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. A leader and two members of a fringe group tied to multiple killings across three states are now facing new weapons charges in Maryland. Jack LaSota, also known as Ziz, leads the so-called Zizians, an extremist group linked to six deaths, including U.S. Border Patrol agent David Milland, killed in a Vermont shooting in January.

Lasota, Michelle Zyko, and Daniel Blank were arrested last month in Frostburg, Maryland, after a local resident reported them trespassing on his property. Initially charged with trespassing and obstruction, the trio now faces additional counts, including concealed firearm possession, offenses carrying penalties of up to five years in prison. Investigators say guns purchased by Zyko were found at the scene of Milan's killing.

Authorities also link the Zizians to murders in California and Pennsylvania, including the deaths of Zyko's own parents. The investigation is ongoing. In Cleveland, an Ohio attorney accused in a decade-old murder case is now facing new charges.

51-year-old Gregory J. Moore pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy in the 2013 stabbing death of Elisa Sherman, a 53-year-old nurse and mother of four. Sherman was found stabbed more than 10 times outside the downtown office where she was supposed to meet Moore to discuss her divorce just one day before trial.

Prosecutors say Moore staged the attack to delay that trial, luring Sherman to the locked office, then misleading investigators afterward. Moore, already convicted in 2017 for lying to police and making bomb threats to delay other court cases, was arrested in May in Texas and extradited to Ohio. His bond? Two million dollars. Sherman's killing sparked years of public outcry and remembrance events.

New Hampshire has agreed to a $10 million settlement with Michael Gilpatrick, who says he was raped and abused at a state-run youth detention center in the 1990s. Gilpatrick's lawsuit was set for trial but was settled instead. His payout is four times the state's usual compensation for victims, but far less than a $38 million jury award in a similar case last year, a verdict the state is fighting to reduce.

Gilpatrick, now 41, was 14 when he was sent to the Youth Development Center in Manchester. His allegations led to criminal charges against four former staffers. Two have faced trial. One was sentenced up to 40 years in prison while another's case ended in a mistrial. The facility, now named for former Governor John H. Sununu, is set to close with a smaller replacement planned.

Since 2019, 11 former staffers have been arrested in connection with abuse claims. Two have been convicted and more trials are pending. Thanks, John. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com and please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. ♪

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