Good morning. It's Monday, May 27th. Here are your sword and scale daily true crime headlines.

Has the penalty for murder become too lenient in some states?

A mother in Idaho brings this issue to light after her son's killer pleads guilty.

Ali Abulabond, a former Tik-Tau creator, took the stand in his double murder trial this past week,

detailing the alleged crime in his own words. In Massachusetts things begin to heat up in the

Karen Reed trial as text messages between the defendant and a man the defense

argues may be an alternate suspect were read aloud in the courtroom.

All of this here on sword and scale daily.

On Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, 60-year-old James Brenner appeared in the first district court in Brigham City, Utah to plead guilty to second-degree felony murder regarding the 2022 death of 19 year old

Dylan rounds. Brenner was initially charged with first-degree felony aggravated

murder however a negotiated plea deal lowered the murder charge to second-degree

felony murder and saw him plead guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a restrictive

person.

An additional charge of desecration of human remains was dismissed.

James Brenner agreed to the plea agreement in exchange for leading law enforcement to

Dylan's remains, which were recovered on April 9th of this year.

At around 6.57 a.m. on Saturday, May 28th, 2022, 19 yearyear-old Dylan, who was an aspiring farmer,

was working to get some equipment moved around his property

in Luce in Utah, near the Utah-Nevada border.

He called his grandmother that morning to let her know he was working to get his grain truck

moved up to a shed because the rain was moving in and his truck was carrying seed that

he didn't want exposed to the elements.

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