In Pursuit With John Walsh: Adarus Black and Michael Pratt
Case 1: Adarus Black
Place: Akron, Ohio
Date: June 14, 2020
Na’kia Crawford was only eighteen years old when she was gunned down in a drive by shooting. She was in her car, sitting at a stoplight, when it was shot at, leading to her tragic death.
Authorities remember that she was shot several times, with her grandmother in the car. Witnesses recall seeing the shooting, but since it happened so quickly, it was hard to initially get details. Later on, a witness came forward and said the car was black with an insignia on the good.
Na’kia’s mom Lisette Williams recalls getting the tragic call, just hours after she called her for the last time. Her best friend also remembers getting to the hospital shortly before her death.
An investigation begins immediately, with authorities asking for witnesses, information or anything that can bring the killer to justice. The car is a black Camaro with an insignia on the hood that represented someone who was murdered.
A Promising Lead
On June 16th, authorities get a call from a woman who claimed that she had pictures of the car in question. They trace it back to a woman named Janisha George, who initially claims to have no knowledge of the car, but then says her brother Adarus Black might be involved.
However, there was very little proof and since he is a juvenile, there was very little to go on…..until they discover he may have been involved in the wrong crowd. They are able to find that his father Adarus Black, Sr. was involved in drug trafficking and in jail for life.
Nobody wanted to believe Adarus Jr. was involved, especially since there is no connection between him and Na’kia.
A Shocking Confession
Everything changes when Adarus’s half brother Jaion comes forward. He says they were with Janisha the day before and that he was driving the car on the day of the shooting.
Jaion claims that he went into a store, while Adarus stayed in the car. When he got out, he says that Adarus told him that he got into a fight with people in a white Malibu. They decide to follow the car and end up shooting Na’kia’s car.
On June 18, authorities go to arrest Adarus, but he is nowhere to be found. A search warrant shows that he had weapons and ammunition in his bedroom.
A few months later, Adarus is seen fighting in a pizza shop in Detroit. However, by the time authorities arrive, he is gone and nowhere to be found.
It is believed that despite being in jail, Adarus’s father his somehow helping him elude authorities.
Description and Ties:
Adarus was seventeen when he escaped and has dark hair and dark eyes. He is 5’8″ and between 150-170 lbs.
His tattoos on his chest read Death before Dishonor and Loyalty, Trust, Respect. He also has gunshot scars on his stomach and sleeve tattoos.
He has ties to Michigan, Tennessee, California, Kentucky and Ohio.
15 Seconds of Shame 1:
Jason Van Patterson is wanted for a murder in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 2013. He has ties to Ohio, Canada and Kentucky.
Missing Child 1:
Sixteen year old Aunna Welborn was last seen on March 22, 2021 in Maryville, Tennessee. She may be in Maryland and her family is concerned for her well being. She is 5’3″ 170 lbs and has blonde hair and blue eyes.
Case 2:
Place: San Diego, California
Date: October 2015
Callahan Walsh is following this case. It began as a simple contract dispute, but moved into something much bigger.
Brian Holm tells Cal that his law school buddy called him about a woman who was conned into making a video that made it onto the internet. She was defrauded out of her money, even though she signed a contract.
Sex. Lies and Videotape
This opens up a pornography case that lured women into thinking that they were going to get modeling jobs. It was run by BLL Media and often asked for ‘hot college girls’ as models on websites such as Craigslist.
The women would answer the ads, thinking they would get their big break. Although they would sign contracts, they would eventually be forced into doing things they never wanted to do.
Thanks to this lawsuit, women began coming out of the woodwork, saying they were also victims.
Brian says Michael Pratt is the man behind this and had a past of running disgusting, disturbing websites. His friends Andre Garcia and Matthew Wolfe were also involved in what Brian says was a sex trafficking ring.
A Scary Twist
An anonymous woman shares her story with Cal, saying she answered the ad in order to help her aspiring sports broadcasting career. She talked to a man named Steven, who she said was really nice at first.
However, it was really Matthew, who was luring her into doing pornography. She arrived to the shoot and was getting her makeup done when she met Andre, who she was told was her modeling partner.
Once everything began, she was told the truth, which upset her. She tried to get out of it, but was told that she was wasting their time. She was too scared to do anything because she was afraid of what they would do to her if she tried to leave.
She ended up being given weed and alcohol and being forced to sign contracts she was not allowed to read. The guys told her the video would only be on DVD overseas and forced to shoot.
Lawsuits and Leverage
Later on, she was tagged in a picture on Instagram with a screenshot from the video, claiming that the video will be coming soon. She went to the cops, but they did nothing to help. This led to her trying to go on Craigslist to warn others, but all her posts were removed. She was given a C&D from Michael’s lawyer, which also had naked pictures of her from the shoot.
In 2017, she joined Brian’s lawsuit, but it would take two years before the men would have to answer for their crimes.
The Trial
Bianca Bruno, who was a journalist covering the case, recalled that Michael was very arrogant and couldn’t be bothered to show up for court. He would send a proxy or prerecorded deposition, blaming everyone else involved. However, his office manager Valerie Moser blew up the case, telling them everything that went on.
The women were awarded 13 million dollars in damages, their videos were taken down and they were given rights to their photos.
After the trial, Michael was said to be involved in a trafficking case of a minor in 2012. However, when the criminal case was set to go to trial, he had escaped.
Disturbing Discoveries
FBI Agent Renee Greene was involved in trying to bring down Michael after discovering that he was trying to lure minors into doing pornography. She discovered several ads online connecting him to several cases, which led to evidence being collected…..most of which is disturbing. It is only a matter of time before she thinks he will be found and brought to justice.
Valerie and Andre pleaded guilty in the case, but Matthew claims he is innocent and awaiting trial.
Description
Michael is 39 years old, 6’0″ and about 210 lbs, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
He is well traveled, with connections in New Zealand, Mexico and Australia. sometimes uses the name Mark as an alias. He is also described as being recluse, paranoid and very tech savvy, with a love for weed, Red Bull and Hennessy.
15 Seconds of Shame 2:
Kareem Lightbourne is wanted for the kidnapping and murder out of Broward County, Florida. He is believed to be living in Haiti, but coming back into the USA under a new identity.
Missing Child 2:
Fifteen year old Alyssa Cantu was last seen in San Antonio, Texas on May 15, 2021. She is said to still be in Texas and was in custody of the state when she ran away. She is biracial (white and Hispanic) and has long hair that may be dyed. Authorities are concerned about getting her back safely, especially since she has a condition that requires medication.
Tipline:
www.InPursuitTips.com
