On the evening of July 4, 2020, while families across Atlanta celebrated Independence Day, an 8-year-old girl named Secoriea Turner was riding in the back of her mother’s SUV, heading home. But the route took them through an "autonomous zone" near a local Wendy's—an area charged with the tension of recent protests following the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

When the vehicle encountered a makeshift barricade manned by armed civilians, tragedy struck in seconds. Eight shots were fired into the car, ending the life of a child who dreamed of attending Spelman College.

In this episode, we dive into the chaotic weeks leading up to that night, the failure of city leadership to secure the area, and the five-year journey to justice. We follow the 2025 trial of Julian Conley and the community’s struggle to find peace in the wake of an unthinkable loss.

Blaine Milan enters a room like a storm front—quiet, heavy, and impossible to ignore. He’s the guy who lingers in the back of the class or the corner of the club, hidden behind a mess of dark, effortless curls and a gaze that feels like it’s stripping away your secrets. With a jawline sharp enough to cut glass and a signature leather jacket that’s seen better days, he carries the restless energy of someone who’s always looking for the nearest exit. He doesn't say much, but when he does, his voice is a low, gravelly hum that demands your full attention. Beneath the cold exterior and the "don’t care" attitude, there’s a flicker of something raw and protective, suggesting that if you actually managed to get past his walls, he’d be the most loyal person you’ve ever known.

On a seemingly mundane Monday afternoon in June 2024, the quiet suburb of North Olmsted, Ohio, was shattered by an act of senseless violence that would leave a community in mourning and a nation in shock. Bionca Ellis, a woman with a history of documented mental health struggles, walked into a Volunteers of America thrift store, stole two kitchen knives, and headed next door to a Giant Eagle grocery store. There, she targeted 3-year-old Julian Wood and his mother, Margot, as they were simply walking to their car. In an attack that took less than five seconds, Ellis fatally stabbed the toddler while he sat in the grocery cart and wounded his mother as she desperately tried to shield him. The case became a focal point of intense legal and public scrutiny, especially during Ellis’s court appearances where her unpredictable behavior—including smirking and ignoring judicial questions—contrasted sharply with the gut-wrenching testimony of Julian’s grieving father. Despite a defense centered on a "not guilty by reason of insanity" plea due to her schizophrenia, a jury found her fully accountable, leading to a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.