Overview of Dateline True Crime Weekly
This episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly covers several major true-crime developments: the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells, a Los Angeles-area alleged murder-for-hire case involving a doctor’s ex-wife, a roundup of verdicts and extradition drama in other high-profile cases, and a breakdown of geofencing — the digital investigative tool now drawing scrutiny in courtrooms and at the Supreme Court.
Mysterious Death of Nolan Wells in Mississippi
The episode opens with the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, a Black college student from southern Mississippi who disappeared after a July 4 outing on Horn Island off the Mississippi coast.
What happened
- Nolan went to the island with friends to celebrate the holiday.
- Friends later returned to the mainland without him.
- His mother, Christine Wells, received a panicked call from one of his friends asking whether she had seen him.
- Nolan’s body was found floating in the water two days later.
Why the family is suspicious
- Authorities initially said there were no obvious signs of foul play and considered accidental drowning.
- Nolan’s parents say that explanation doesn’t add up because:
- he was athletic and knew how to swim,
- he was reportedly surrounded by people,
- no one appears to have heard or seen him in distress,
- his phone did not stay with him and was later recovered from a friend,
- there were no photos or obvious social-media activity saved on his phone.
- The family worries information may have been deleted or hidden.
Race and public scrutiny
- Nolan’s parents and attorney Ben Crump have raised concerns about the racial and historical context of the case in Mississippi.
- The story has drawn heavy online attention, which investigators and the family say is both helpful and dangerous because of misinformation.
- A viral video that people speculated included Nolan was later said by a friend to involve someone else entirely.
Current status
- The family has requested an independent autopsy in addition to the state medical examiner’s autopsy.
- Toxicology results are still pending.
- The local district attorney said a grand jury will be convened once the investigation is complete.
- Nolan’s funeral was scheduled for Monday.
Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Involving a California Doctor
The episode then turns to Woodland Hills, California, where prosecutors say Dr. Hamid Mirshouje, an emergency physician, was murdered outside his clinic in August 2024.
The alleged crime
- Surveillance video reportedly shows a masked gunman running up to Hamid in the parking lot and shooting him in the head.
- Investigators later found a shell casing at the scene.
- Hamid had also been attacked months earlier in a separate incident involving a baseball bat.
Why investigators suspect the ex-wife
- Prosecutors say there was deep conflict between Hamid and his ex-wife, Ahong/Ahang.
- The two had business disputes, including a lawsuit over $270,000 Hamid claimed she owed him.
- According to detectives, she allegedly:
- pressured a man named Evan Hardman by threatening to expose him for another crime,
- recruited him for other tasks,
- then later allegedly asked him to rob and kill her ex-husband,
- promised him $400,000,
- and supplied the gun, getaway vehicle, and a deadline.
What the defense argued
- Defense attorney Mark Geragos attacked the credibility of the alleged gunman’s statements.
- He suggested detectives may have steered the story.
- He also questioned whether police had seriously investigated Ahong’s son as a possible suspect; detectives said they did and found no evidence linking him to the murder.
Other defendants and next steps
- Two co-defendants, including the alleged getaway driver, initially faced charges, but:
- the judge dismissed the murder charges against them for lack of evidence,
- and prosecutors later dropped charges against one of them entirely.
- Ahong and the alleged gunman remain in custody and are headed for trial.
- A new hearing is set for July 23.
Dateline Roundup
Larry Millete murder verdict
- A jury in San Diego County found Larry Millete guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 disappearance and presumed killing of his wife, Maya Millete.
- The verdict came after about five hours of deliberation, despite no body being found.
- The courtroom reaction was emotional:
- Maya’s family hugged and cried,
- Larry’s family sat in silence,
- prosecutors said the verdict brought accountability, though not closure.
- Larry still faces a separate gun-related bench trial over firearms found in his home.
- He faces 25 years to life for the murder conviction.
Texas man in Italy after fleeing murder trial
- The episode also updates the case of a Houston man accused of murdering his pregnant wife who fled the U.S. before trial and was later detained in Italy.
- According to prosecutors:
- he cut off his ankle monitor,
- traveled through Canada,
- entered Italy with fake Belgian travel documents,
- and claimed he was seeking asylum.
- He told Italian authorities he fled to avoid the death penalty.
- The Italian court has reserved judgment on extradition, with a decision due within six months.
- A strange additional twist: a man recently filed paperwork claiming ownership of the house where the killing allegedly occurred.
Geofencing and the Supreme Court
The final segment explains geofencing, a controversial investigative method that uses smartphone location data to identify devices that were near a crime scene.
How geofencing works
- Police draw a virtual geographic boundary around a crime scene.
- Companies like Google may provide anonymized data on devices inside that area.
- Investigators then narrow the list step by step until they identify possible suspects.
Why it’s controversial
- Privacy advocates argue it can sweep up innocent bystanders.
- People may be identified or even wrongly arrested despite having nothing to do with the crime.
Supreme Court ruling
- The Supreme Court ruled that a warrant is required for geofence searches.
- The Court said location history is protected by the Fourth Amendment.
- However, it did not decide whether the specific warrant in the case was valid, leaving that issue for a lower court.
Bottom line
- Law enforcement can still use geofencing, but now they need judicial approval.
- The ruling leaves open important questions about how specific geofence warrants must be.
Key Takeaways
- Nolan Wells’ death remains unresolved, and his family is pressing for answers amid questions about race, phone data, and what happened on Horn Island.
- A California ex-wife is accused of orchestrating a hit on her ex-husband, but the case has already been narrowed by dismissed charges against other defendants.
- Larry Millete was convicted, adding another major true-crime verdict to the week.
- Geofencing is powerful but legally sensitive; the Supreme Court has now required warrants for its use.