About this episode

The episode discusses the trial of Ebony Parker regarding the Newport News elementary school shooting incident.

"Mind Over Murder" co-hosts Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley discuss the criminal trial of Ebony Parker, Assistant Principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, which was held to determine in Dr. Parker was liable in the shooting of teacher Abigail Zwerner by a first grader with a handgun. The controversial case has received national coverage. CNN: Judge dismisses charges against former school official in case of 6-year-old who shot teacher https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/21/us/ebony-parker-trial-dismissed WVEC 13 News Now: Judge dismisses charges against former Richneck assistant principal in school shooting case https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/judge-dismisses-charges-against-former-richneck-assistant-principal-in-school-shooting-case/291-ccc430b9-d087-4bce-841c-966e89d4f50d NBC: FBI Norfolk field office links deceased suspect to additional Colonial Parkway Murders In January 2026, the FBI announced Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. is responsible for the 1986 Virginia murders of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Dowski. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/colonial-parkway-murders-cathleen-thomas-rebecca-dowski-resolved-rcna255097 American…

People in this episode

Hosts: Bill Thomas, Kristin Dilley

Topics covered

• school shooting
• criminal trial
• liability
• education
• Virginia
• true crime

Keywords

• Newport News
• Ebony Parker
• Abigail Zwerner
• school shooting
• criminal trial
• Virginia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CNN, WVEC 13 News Now, NBC, FBI

Books & works: American Detective TV series, Colonial Parkway Murders, A Murder on the Rappahannock River

Places: Newport News, Virginia

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