YouTube True Crime Star Accused of Brutal Assault in Court Filing

A prominent YouTube true crime personality faces serious allegations of domestic abuse, according to court documents obtained by The Post. Jonathan Lee Riches, who operates the channel “JLR Investigates” with over half a million subscribers, is accused by former girlfriend Jaime Tennille Phillips of a violent assault that occurred on Christmas Eve 2025.

Phillips claims in a sworn petition filed in Arkansas that the alleged attack culminated years of escalating abuse. Her handwritten affidavit details “extreme injuries, including broken nose + septum, significant trauma to my head and ribs” requiring emergency care and eventual reconstructive surgery.

The filing portrays a relationship that began in early 2023 and deteriorated into what Phillips describes as “a persistent and escalating pattern of domestic abuse, coercive control, intimidation, financial exploitation, and physical violence.” She alleges Riches strangled her approximately two dozen times and threatened her life if she reported the abuse.

On January 21, 2026, the court issued a protection order after finding sufficient evidence that Phillips faced an “immediate and present danger of domestic abuse.”

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Washington confirmed to The Post they had probable cause to arrest Riches following the December incident, but he had already left the state. No formal charges appear to have been filed, and no arrest warrant has been issued.

Riches and his legal representation have not responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations.

“I was duped for so long,” Phillips told The Post. “He portrayed himself as if he had changed and turned his life around but that’s not real. He’s the same way he’s always been. He’s a fraud.”

Phillips herself has a controversial past, having been accused in 2017 of attempting to plant a fabricated story with the Washington Post about being impregnated by then-Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore as a teenager.

Riches has built a significant following in the true crime community, with fellow streamer Alina Smith describing him as “basically a big celebrity.” His channel features lengthy broadcasts from crime scenes, sometimes streaming for up to 15 hours daily. He often accepts money from viewers to perform specific tasks during his broadcasts, such as focusing on particular areas of a crime scene.

Industry insiders estimate Riches may earn up to $30,000 weekly through his persistent “boots on the ground” approach at high-profile crime scenes. Most recently, he has been broadcasting from Tucson, Arizona, outside the home of missing person Nancy Guthrie.

“The only thing he cares about is money. He doesn’t care about the cases. He loves when there’s a mass shooting. He gets excited cos he knows he’ll get a lot of views and a lot of money,” Phillips claimed.

Riches’ controversial background extends far beyond his YouTube career. In 2003, he was convicted in a federal credit card fraud scheme, receiving a 125-month prison sentence and ordered to pay $92,680 in restitution.

During his incarceration, Riches became known as the “most litigious inmate,” filing an estimated 4,000 frivolous lawsuits against celebrities, politicians, and companies—including one alleging the Kardashian family participated in al-Qaida training. His prolific filing prompted prosecutors to seek an unprecedented nationwide injunction against him.

After his 2012 release, Riches quickly found new controversy when he traveled to Newtown, Connecticut, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. There, he falsely identified himself as “Jonathan Lanza,” the shooter’s uncle, and made unfounded claims about Adam Lanza’s mental health. This violation of his supervised release sent him back to prison.

In 2016, he pleaded guilty to making false statements after filing a civil action against former Representative Gabrielle Giffords while posing as Jared Loughner, the man who shot her and killed six people.

His pattern of provocative behavior continued at Bill Cosby’s trial, where he repeatedly offered the disgraced actor Jell-O, and at political rallies where he posed alternately as both Muslim and Jewish supporters despite later admitting he was “an atheist from a Christian family.”

Law enforcement officials and victims’ advocates have expressed concern about the growing trend of crime scene livestreamers like Riches, warning they can complicate investigations and harm innocent people. Despite this—or perhaps because of it—Riches maintains a dedicated following, with some fans reportedly traveling across states just to meet him at crime scenes.

“A lack of information leads to speculation,” Riches told The Republic during a February livestream outside Guthrie’s home—a statement that perhaps inadvertently captures the essence of his controversial career.