A fake video and a big crime – level 3

01-04-2026 07:00

Stephen McCullagh, a YouTube content creator, has been found guilty of murdering his pregnant partner, Natalie McNally. To hide the crime, he created an elaborate fake alibi using a six-hour video game live stream.

On the night of the murder, his subscribers watched him play games and drink, but the video was actually recorded four days earlier. McCullagh told viewers he couldn’t reply to comments due to technical problems, so they wouldn’t realize it was not live. While the video played, he traveled to Natalie’s home and attacked her. For six weeks after the crime, he acted like a grieving boyfriend, attended her funeral, and even visited her grave. However, police eventually took his computer and discovered his lies.

The court heard that jealousy might have been the motive, as Natalie was considering breaking up with him. McCullagh will be sentenced later this year.

Difficult words: elaborate (detailed and complicated), alibi (proof that someone was in a different place when a crime happened), motive (the reason why a person does something, especially why they commit a crime).

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News in Levels · A fake video and a big crime – level 3

What reason did McCullagh give viewers for being unable to reply to comments during his six-hour livestream?

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