MINI TRUE CRIME ROUNDUP: A 1920s murder mystery, another murder linked to the Zizians and more

**Lauren Barry** (0:02)
This is a True Crime Roundup from The On Deadline Podcast. We dive into crime stories reported on by Audacy radio newsrooms across the country. I'm your host, Lauren Barry. This week, we'll hear about one journalist's investigation into a century-old murder case that still haunts her hometown.
First, we're going to check in on quick crime updates from coast to coast, including a case linked to a cult-like group of computer scientists and the mistrial of a man accused of causing a massive wildfire in California last year. We'll start with a harrowing case out of Audacy Station 1010 Wins in New York, reporting on Tuesday, June 23rd.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:52)
Three women in Bayport, a woman, her mother, and her daughter in court, indicted on charges of torturing a seven-year-old girl to death. And the cries heard in the courtroom eventually spilled into the hallway where family and friends struggled to come to grips with how this happened. And then those cries turned to anger, which led to a big fight right outside the courthouse. 1010 Wins reporter Sophia Hall leading us off with cries for Jordan.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:15)
I can't believe that anybody in their right mind would do something like that.

**Sophia Hall** (1:20)
Family and friends of seven-year-old Jordan Duncan cried as they packed the courtroom. In fact, there were so many supporters, some had to remain outside in the hallway.

**SPEAKER_6** (1:30)
Heartbreaking, monstrous.

**Sophia Hall** (1:32)
They screamed as they left, saying they do not understand how three generations of women could be accused of torturing the little girl in their custody until she died.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:43)
To miss that many days of school and no one calls CPS.

**Sophia Hall** (1:45)
And outside the courthouse, the supporters, most wearing Jordan's favorite color pink, began fighting.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:51)
What happened out here was something stupid.

**Sophia Hall** (1:53)
No one was injured. Sophia Hall, 1010 Wins, and ID23FM on McIsland.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:58)
Yeah, court officials came outside and broke up the fight. It's unclear who started it. Meantime, we'll continue to monitor developments in this case and let you know the outcome. All three women pleaded not guilty today in court.

**Lauren Barry** (2:10)
In Philadelphia, Audacy Station, KYW Newsradio, also reported on a disturbing case involving family on Tuesday.

**SPEAKER_7** (2:20)
A community is reeling after Philadelphia police say her grandmother killed her granddaughter and her own sister and then shot herself yesterday afternoon. KYW's Crime and Justice reporter, Kristen Johansson, has more.

**Kristen Johansson** (2:32)
Officials say Denise Picano shot her 18-year-old granddaughter who had autism and then her own 55-year-old sister, Denise Grutini, inside a home along 10th Street near Oregon, not far from the stadiums. Picano was her granddaughter's primary caregiver.

**Rachel Fize** (2:46)
You just don't hear about things like that in this neighborhood.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:48)
You know, it's just a very quiet, nice neighborhood.

**Rachel Pearson** (2:51)
And I've been here 30 years, that's a shame.

**Kristen Johansson** (2:54)
Sources say the 67-year-old woman was in severe distress and called 911 to tell police what she had done before turning the gun on herself. It happened around 5.3 in the evening. They say her husband came home to find the three dead inside. Police arrived soon after to sort out what happened. Detectives are still investigating. Kristen Johansson, KYW Newsradio, 1039 FM.

**Lauren Barry** (3:14)
And here are two more Tuesday dispatches from KYW.

**SPEAKER_12** (3:18)
A man was shot and critically wounded outside a corner store in West Philadelphia. It was around 2 AM near 61st and Vine, where the guy was inside the store playing a gambling machine. He walks out, someone gets out of a minivan, walks up to him.

**Timothy Steffen** (3:31)
At which point our victim drew his firearm, had some exchange of words with the suspect, the suspect then drew his firearm, and two shots were fired, striking the victim in the stomach.

**SPEAKER_12** (3:41)
It's police captain Timothy Steffen. He says the shooter got back in the van, drove off.
At the scene, investigators found a mountain bike and a handgun they say belongs to the victim. They say he did not have a permit to carry.

**SPEAKER_14** (3:53)
A man was shot in the face in East Germantown, then tried to drive himself to the hospital. Happened just after midnight near Germantown Avenue in Church Lane. The guy was sitting in a caddy with his girlfriend when someone walked up and fired 14 shots at the car.
The man was hit in the cheek, but captain Timothy Steffen says somehow they missed the girl.

**Timothy Steffen** (4:14)
Unknown how she didn't get hit. Obviously she was the passenger in the car with 14 rounds going into the car. Only luckily, by the grace of God, that the driver was the only person struck inside that vehicle.