Welcome to the Murder Minute Podcast. Today the story of DJ Freese, but first some

true crime headlines. Police in North Carolina have captured four of the five inmates who escaped from Nash

County jail this week, leaving one inmate still on the run.

The prisoners were able to escape through a hole in an exercise yard fence.

A security camera monitoring the exercise yard was pointed in a different direction at the time of the escape.

The remaining fugitive 22-year-old Lacuaris Battle was last seen wearing white long Johns

and police suspect that he may have had some outside help.

They are offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to his capture.

A Houston police sergeant is behind bars facing murder charges in the death of his wife.

Police believe that Ilario Hernandez 56 shot and killed his wife

Belinda 52 in her home in Pearland, Texas. He was apprehended while driving in

Kingsville 250 miles from where his wife was found dead.

The victim was a longtime librarian at Pearland Elementary School where she was

beloved by staff and students. Her husband and employee of the Houston Police Department

for 33 years was relieved of duty with pay. His bail is set at $800,000.

Cook County prosecutors have dropped all charges against actor

Jesse Smollett, though the Chicago Police Commissioner and Mayor

Rahm Emanuel both condemned the decision. The State's Attorney's Office

didn't immediately explain why the 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct were dropped,

but released a statement explaining that they came to the decision after reviewing the circumstances of the case, including Smollett's volunteer work in the community, and his agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond.

Most of the court records have been sealed.

The lawyer for a 24-year-old man accused of gunning down a

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