The family matriarch’s defense. A landmark decision in the Gilgo Beach murders case. And a mom hits the road seeking justice.

Dateline NBC

NBC News

True Crime, Culture, Social, Society & Culture, News

4.4 • 38K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Inside the defense of Florida grandmother Donna Adelson. In Long Island, a judge's ruling on DNA ahead of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann's, murder trial. Plus, almost 21 years after her daughter was murdered, a mother hits the road to bring awareness to the unsolved case.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, good morning.
0:02.2	It's time for Dateline's morning meeting.
0:04.6	This is really the first time he's appearing in court other than his arena.
0:09.0	Our producers are catching up on breaking crime news.
0:12.2	His defense team remains kind of in this holding pattern.
0:15.7	Mom gets on the stand on this trial and then just admits to helping her husband commit the murders.
0:24.1	Welcome to Dateline True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's September 4th, and here's what's on
0:29.5	our docket. In Long Island, a judge makes a critical ruling in the case against alleged Gilgo Beach
0:36.3	serial killer Rex
0:37.6	Heerman.
0:38.3	This type of DNA has never been admitted in New York State.
0:42.2	In Dateline Roundup, we've got the latest on a homicide investigation at the popular arts
0:47.1	festival, Burning Man.
0:49.1	And Barry Morfew is back in court.
0:51.4	The husband accused of poisoning his wife with an animal tranquilizer wants out of
0:55.5	jail. His team wrote that Barry, quote, is an honest person who is genuinely eager to clear his name.
1:02.1	Plus, we'll talk to a mother on an unusual road trip. She's driving cross-country to draw attention to
1:07.8	her daughter's 20-year-old murder. Some people call it crazy, but I always say you have to find a way to learn to live in spite of these losses,
1:17.6	and that's how you find the healing.
1:19.6	But before all that, we're heading back to Tallahassee for the latest in the Blockbuster murder trial of a Florida grandmother.
1:26.6	The defense of Donna Aedelson has begun. in the blockbuster murder trial of a Florida grandmother.
1:31.2	The defense of Donna Aedelson has begun.
	...

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