Ep 3. Nightmares in Babysitting

In season 4, episode 3 of the true crime series Motives and Murder: Cracking the Case, viewers join law enforcement officials as they investigate a grizzly homicide that occurs during a routine evening of babysitting. Titled "Nightmares in Babysitting," the episode begins by introducing viewers to busy mother Lacey Spears who relied on babysitters to care for her sick son, Garnett. Despite his medical issues, Garnett was a happy child, and Spears often shared his daily life on social media. However, everything changed on January 23, 2014, when Lacey called 911 in hysterics after finding her son unresponsive in their apartment. Despite attempts to revive him, Garnett was pronounced dead later that day at Westchester Medical Center, in New York.

As law enforcement officers and medical personnel conduct a full investigation, viewers gain insight into Garnett's medical history, and the strain it had placed on Lacey as his primary caregiver. Seen through the eyes of Spears' friends, family members, and local law enforcement officers, the episode depicts the grizzly details of the investigation and ultimate arrest of Lacey Spears, who was charged with second-degree murder after it was determined that she had been poisoning her own son.

Through interviews and news footage, viewers witness the efforts of authorities to bring Lacey Spears to justice, even as she denies any involvement in her son's death. As the prosecution builds its case, the episode explores how Spears' behavior began to cast suspicion on her, and how a medical mystery quickly unfolded into a homicide investigation. Moreover, motivated by a desire to discover possible motives for Spears' behavior, the investigators explore the impact that Garnett's chronic illness had on his life and those around him.

Ultimately, "Nightmares in Babysitting" conveys a heartbreaking tale of a mother who would stop at nothing to gain attention and sympathy for herself, often at the expense of her son's health and well-being. With expert commentary, emotional interviews, and crime scene recreations that place the viewer at the heart of the investigation, this episode of Motives and Murder: Cracking the Case offers a gripping look at the lengths someone will go to for the sake of self-aggrandizement, even at the expense of an innocent child's life.