416: Incest Dad Basically Walks Free, Teen Marly Kinney Vanishes At Boat Party & Sisters Murder and Smile After

Episode of Serialously with Annie Elise · July 2, 2026 · 54 min

Annie Elise and Amy review true crime headlines, including the Michaela Settles sentencing, a Del Rio stabbing by sisters, a Colombian influencer's killing, and Marley Kinney's death.

Summary

In this Headline Highlights episode recorded in New York, Annie Elise and co-host Amy opened with case updates. Elise noted that Alex Murdaugh's retrial was tentatively set for April 5, 2027, saying she expected a conviction but was apprehensive because financial crimes evidence might be limited. She reported that the Ohio Supreme Court had again declined to hear Mackenzie Shirilla's appeal, and expressed anger that Michaela Settles's biological father received one year in county jail, three years of probation and 20 years on the registry after pleading guilty to felony incest, despite prosecutors seeking three years in prison.

Amy then covered the June 25 stabbing death of 32-year-old Caroline Peña in Del Rio, Texas, for which sisters Kitty Mia Diaz and Amaya Diaz and their friend Kyandra Faz were charged with murder; Amy speculated the attack might have been gang-related, and both hosts remarked on viral arrest videos showing the suspects smiling. Elise described the Connecticut case of Janina Brooke Murphy, whose death was ruled a homicide and whose boyfriend Cole Warhan was charged with murder, arguing that his alleged history of abuse toward other women would be key at trial.

Amy recounted the killing of Colombian model Natalia Villalba, found in a suitcase in a Bogotá apartment, and the arrest of British man Matthew Foster Smith in Quito on aggravated femicide charges. Elise then detailed the disappearance of 19-year-old Marley Kinney during a pontoon outing on Grayson Lake, Kentucky, the drunk-boating arrest of operator Cameron Conley, her sister Willow's social media updates, and the discovery of her body on June 28; both hosts said they saw red flags but declined to speculate out of respect for the family. The episode closed with a listener confession about putting Nair in a stepsister's shampoo and a plug for Elise's Harmony Montgomery deep dive.

Chapters

  1. 0:02

    Intro and listener meet-up

    Elise welcomes listeners from New York and recounts meeting a listener named CJ at her door.

  2. 2:23

    Alex Murdaugh retrial date

    Elise reports the retrial is set for April 2027 and voices mild concern about limits on financial crimes evidence.

  3. 4:31

    Mackenzie Shirilla appeal denied

    The Ohio Supreme Court again declines to hear Shirilla's appeal, leaving her 15-to-life sentence intact.

  4. 8:06

    Michaela Settles's father sentenced

    The hosts express outrage at a one-year county jail sentence for felony incest.

  5. 15:54

    Sisters charged in Del Rio stabbing

    Amy covers the killing of Caroline Peña and the viral videos of the smiling suspects.

  6. 23:38

    Death of Brooke Murphy in Connecticut

    Elise details the homicide ruling, blood evidence and prior abuse allegations against boyfriend Cole Warhan.

  7. 31:37

    Natalia Villalba suitcase killing

    Amy recounts the Bogotá killing and the arrest of Matthew Foster Smith in Ecuador on femicide charges.

  8. 37:46

    Marley Kinney disappearance at Grayson Lake

    Elise walks through the search for the missing 19-year-old, the boat operator's DUI arrest, and the discovery of her body.

  9. 49:55

    Listener confession

    A CrimeCon phone-booth confession about putting Nair in a stepsister's shampoo is played and discussed.

  10. 52:08

    Outro and Harmony Montgomery plug

    Elise promotes her deep dive on Adam Montgomery's overturned conviction and signs off for the holiday weekend.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

  • Annie Elise

    Elise worries the retrial may not allow financial crimes evidence as extensively, opening room for reasonable doubt.

    “I don't believe that they're allowed to bring in the financial crimes as much as they did in the last trial”

    Listen from 2:23 · Alex Murdaugh murder trial

  • Annie ElisePrediction · due Dec 2027

    Elise predicts Alex Murdaugh will again be found guilty at his retrial, though she has some reservations.

    “I'm confident that he will still be found guilty. However, I want to put that big however in there”

    Listen from 3:23 · Alex Murdaugh murder trial

  • Annie Elise

    Elise argues Shirilla's parents hurt her cause by participating in a Netflix documentary.

    “her parents did not do her any favors with doing the Netflix documentary”

    Listen from 7:06 · Mackenzie Shirilla case

  • Annie Elise

    Elise believes Settles's father will likely serve less than his one-year sentence due to California jail overcrowding.

    “he is going to be out in a year, probably even less, because, hello, let's talk about California”

    Listen from 11:52 · Michaela Settles case

  • Linked moment · 26:51Skip to 26:51 using a listen link in the info box.

    Annie Elise

    Elise argues Warhan's pattern of alleged abuse will be decisive because a defense could explain the physical evidence as self-inflicted or from the fall.

    “The pattern and the history is what's going to really come into play here because I could see a very good defense attorney saying the blunt force trauma was from her hitting her own head”

    Listen from 26:51 · Death of Brooke Murphy

  • Annie Elise

    Elise says she sees many red flags in the Kinney case but declines to speculate out of respect for the family.

    “given the information we have and we know and what transpired, there are a lot of red flags”

    Listen from 48:11 · Death of Marley Kinney

People

In the conversation

  • Annie EliseTrue crime podcaster and host of Serialously and 10 to Life
  • AmyCo-host of the Headline Highlights segment and member of Annie Elise's team

Discussed

  • Alex MurdaughFormer South Carolina attorney whose double murder convictions were overturned
  • Mackenzie ShirillaOhio woman convicted over a fatal 2022 car crash and subject of the Netflix documentary The Crash
  • Michaela SettlesYoung woman who died by suicide after being sexually assaulted by her biological father
  • Caroline Peña32-year-old mother of five fatally stabbed in Del Rio, Texas
  • Kitty Mia Diaz21-year-old charged with murder in the Del Rio stabbing
  • Janina Brooke Murphy26-year-old Connecticut woman whose death was ruled a homicide
  • Cole WarhanConnecticut man charged with murdering his girlfriend Brooke Murphy
  • Natalia VillalbaColombian model and influencer found dead in a suitcase in Bogotá
  • Matthew Foster SmithBritish man charged with aggravated femicide in Villalba's death
  • Marley Kinney19-year-old who vanished at Grayson Lake, Kentucky, and was later found dead
  • Cameron ConleyPontoon boat operator arrested for boating under the influence during the Kinney outing
  • Adam MontgomeryFather whose murder conviction in the death of daughter Harmony Montgomery was overturned

Topics

More from Serialously with Annie Elise

From the publisher

A missing 19-year-old vanishes during a lake party before her body is discovered days later, raising difficult questions about what really happened on the water. Then, two sisters are accused of committing a brutal murder together—and their shocking behavior after the arrest leaves everyone stunned. Plus, the disturbing case of a popular influencer allegedly killed, hidden inside a suitcase, and the international manhunt that followed. . If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow the show for weekly deep dives into the darkest true crime cases! To watch the video version of this episode, head over to youtube.com/@annieelise . . 🔎 Join Our True Crime Club & Get Exclusive Content & Perks. . 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to both of my weekly true crime series 10 to Life & Serialously with Annie Elise wherever you get your podcasts on the Annie Elise Channel! 🍎 Apple Podcasts | Where you can also unlock access to 100+ and growing extra exclusive deep dives. 💚 Spotify 🔴 YouTube 🎙️ All Other Platforms . 📸 Follow Annie on Socials Instagram: @_annieelise TikTok: @_annieelise Substack: @annieelise Facebook: @10toLife . 👗 Shop Annie’s Must-Haves! ShopMY: bit.ly/AnnieElise_ShopMy Amazon: bit.ly/AnnieElise_Amazon . 🫵🏻 Get Involved or Recommend a Case About Annie: www.annieelise.com For Business Inquiries: 10toLife@WMEAgency.com . 📚 Episode Sources ABC 7 News | BBC News | Boston 25 News | CBS News | Facebook | GoFundMe | Metro | People | The Guardian | The Sun | Upper Michigan’s Source | WFSB | WKYT | KTVU | New York Post | YouTube •••••••••••••••••• 🚨Disclaimers 1️⃣ Some links may be affiliate links, they do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Thank you so much for watching and supporting me. 2️⃣ Sources used to collect this information include various public news sites, interviews, court documents, FB groups dedicated to the case, and various news channel segments. When quoting statements made by others, they are strictly alleged unt…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime·News Commentary