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Gulf Coast Confidential with Mollye Barrows

I’m Investigative Journalist Mollye Barrows. For years, I’ve covered the stories that made headlines in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf Coast – murders, missing persons, and mysteries of all kinds. These cases are far from over for many victims because the full story has yet to surface. Join me for Gulf Coast Confidential, where I dive into the saltier side of the South and expose the lies, greed, and corruption that often weighs down the truth.

Copyright: © 2023 Gulf Coast Confidential with Mollye Barrows

Latest Episodes:

Taylor Wright was Dead Wrong About Ashley McArthur: PI Killed for Cash, Found in Shallow Grave Nov 19, 2024

Some people can handle temptation, but apparently Ashley McArthur isn’t one of them. When her friend, police officer turned private investigator Taylor Wright, asked her to hold onto some cash, she did. Then Ashley refused to let it go.

Taylor didn’t know at the time Ashley had a lying problem, and that men, money, and friendships were simply the cost of doing business.

No matter how many times Taylor asked for her cash back, Ashley always had an excuse why she couldn’t get it to her. Finally, she agreed to go to the bank with Taylor to retrieve it. And then Taylor all but vanished.

Fortunately for investigators, Ashley left a trail of lies and deceit from Milton to Cantonment to Pensacola, and she faced an array of charges including arson, racketeering, and murder.

Police didn’t have to dig far to find the truth. Follow the corruption with us in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Taylor Wright was dead wrong about Ashley McArthur: PI killed for cash, found in shallow grave.”

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Whiny Toby Madden says he ‘didn’t mean’ to stab common law wife 55 times: Meltdown Madden Nov 13, 2024

Toby Madden couldn’t commit to his longtime girlfriend when it comes to marriage, but when it comes to murder, he committed to stabbing her 55 times.

Rachelle Brewsaugh was used to Toby Madden’s meltdowns. They had been a couple for nearly thirty years and even had a daughter together.

Rachelle’s family testified that he regularly threatened her, telling her more than once he was going to “cut off her head and put it in her mother’s lap so the whole family would suffer.”

Most of the time Rachelle could appease him during one of his temper tantrums, often drug-fueled, but in October of 2022, he made good on his threat and attacked her with a knife, stabbing the 50-year-old woman all over her chest, abdomen, head, back, knees, arms, shoulders, and hands.

Her gruesome, unprovoked murder was awful enough, but Madden’s behavior at his murder trial was unhinged.

Join us for more on the next episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Whiny Toby Madden says he ‘didn’t mean’ to stab common law wife 55 times: Meltdown Madden.”

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Doctor's Orders: How Psychiatrist Pamela Buchbinder Brainwashed Her Cousin Patient to Kill for Her! Nov 07, 2024

Psychiatrist Pamela Buchbinder knows how to mess with people’s heads. When she no longer wanted to split custody of the child she shared with her baby-daddy, psychiatrist Michael Weiss, she didn’t take him to court. Prosecutors say she made a plan to kill him.
That plan included brainwashing and bamboozling her bi-polar younger cousin, Jacob Nolan. His family was delighted when the accomplished and seemingly kind and caring Buchbinder offered to let Jacob live with her and help take care of her young son.
Only instead of helping him deal with his mental instability she recruits and masterminds him to fulfill a mission to murder her son’s father armed with a bizarre map of his office, a knife and a sledgehammer.
Fortunately, the tall and imposing Dr. Weiss was able to fend off the homicidal attack from the young man who was falsely told Weiss was abusing his cousin and her son.
Jacob even took a selfie of his bloody face in Michael’s office to prove to Buchbinder he did as he was asked. At Jacob’s trial for attempted murder he claimed he was under duress and only did what he did because she manipulated him and convinced him he was killing a molester and an abuser, neither of which was true.
Did the jury believe him or blame Buchbinder?
Join us for more on the case in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, "Doctor's Orders: How Psychiatrist Pamela Buchbinder Brainwashed Her Cousin Patient to Kill for Her!"

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That’s the Effing Liver!’ Florida Investigates Doctor Accused of Mistakenly Removing Man’s Live Nov 04, 2024

Here’s the shakedown and breakdown of the latest Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky wrong site surgery. The doctor is under investigation and has had his medical license suspended by the Florida Dept. of Health after he allegedly mistakenly removed a man’s liver instead of his spleen, two easily identifiable organs for a health care professional.

The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration launched a ten-day investigation to better understand why he could allegedly make such a deadly, egregious error in the operating room during a what should have been a straightforward surgery.

Join us as we break down the state’s report to understand this incredulous case and what others in the operating room had to say about it in the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “That’s the effing liver.”

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A murderous third grader, a deadly paramour, and a missing husband: Laurie Shaver’s blame game Oct 30, 2024

An open marriage ended in a closed casket. Laurie and Michael Shaver were together, but seeing other people…because that always ends so well, even when you’re living in the shadow of the happiest place on earth, Disney World.

But one day, Michael, who was a monorail mechanic at Disney, didn’t show up for work or anywhere for that matter. For all intents and purposes, the husband and father had all but disappeared except for a cryptic message sent to his boss, friends, and family on social media telling everyone to “leave him alone.”

And people did, for a long time. Especially his wife, who promptly had not one, not two, but three boyfriends after Michael left. She had enjoyed her newfound freedom for years, often sharing random messages from Michael, until the day his friends and co-workers became suspicious and asked for a welfare check.

Police only had to look three feet under a new slab of concrete in the backyard to find the answer, Michael Shaver was dead. His widow, who claimed to be getting messages from him, became the prime suspect. Not only did she deny it, she blamed the couple’s then seven-year-old daughter as well as one of her lovers for killing Michael who had been shot in the back of the head.

Join us for more on the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “A murderous third grader, deadly paramour, and a missing husband buried in the backyard: Laurie Shaver’s blame game.”

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Psycho teen caught vaping pot shoots mom in the face, wounds stepdad: the deadly ‘secret life’ of Carly Gregg Oct 22, 2024

Mississippi 14-year-old Carly Gregg shot her mom three times in the face and saved three more bullets for her stepdad. She was upset her mom had caught her vaping pot and discovered that Carly had a secret life which included a boyfriend, burner phones, and other forbidden extracurricular activities.
Security footage in the house shows that the day her mom, a school teacher, found out Carly was rebelling against the house rules, Carly walked into her room, took a gun hidden in the house and turned it on her screaming mother. Witnesses say she then invited another school friend to come and see her mom's corpse and told her to watch while she shot her stepdad who was on his way home after Carly texted him from her mom's phone to return.
She fired three times when he walked in the door but he was only wounded by one shot in the shoulder. The teen tried to plead insanity when she was charged with the shootings, but the court wasn't buying it and it only took the jury two hours to come back with a verdict.
Join us for the chilling story in the 100th episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, "Psycho teen caught vaping pot shoots mom in the face, wounds stepdad: the deadly ‘secret life’ of Carly Gregg."

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Stink Over the Ink: Is a tattoo a sin? Kevin Sehmer says so! Oct 16, 2024

Killing a man over his tattoos?! That’s what happened to Josh Davies, who was enjoying date night with his wife when they stopped at a popular watering hole to meet some friends. The 39-year-old was hanging out, relaxing, and minding his own business when 64-year-old Kevin Sehmer marched into the bar, already looking for a fight, prosecutors said.

Although Josh was a complete stranger, Kevin zeroed in on the younger man’s tattoos, visible on his arms, and became incensed by them. Kevin told Josh his tattoos were a sin and obscuring the work of God.
Refusing to argue, Josh stepped outside to avoid a confrontation and let Sehmer cool off. Only Sehmer didn’t seem interested in cooling off and instead determinedly followed Josh outside.

Surveillance video shows Josh was walking away again from the enraged stranger when Sehmer punched him so hard in the face Josh fell back and cracked his head on the sidewalk. The skull fractures put him in the hospital for a month, but Josh never recovered and died from the fatal blow.

Now Josh’s family say they will never recover from losing a “loving” son, father, and husband in an angry and unprovoked attack. What was Kevin Sehmer thinking?!

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Stink Over the Ink: Is a tattoo a sin? Kevin Sehmer says so!”

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Southern Fried Crime: Updates, Deaths, and Sextortion Oct 14, 2024

Whew! There’s so much stuff happening we added an extra episode to touch on new cases and others that just aren’t going away anytime soon!

Jury selection starts Monday in the case of “Suitcase Sarah Boone,” who is on her 9th attorney, and wouldn’t you just know it, he’s James Owens from Milton, Florida, and the former Public Defender for our area.

He’s not without notoriety here in the Panhandle, with his connection to a woman and criminal suspect who died in a shootout with police after firing at them through the sunroof of her ex-husband’s black, Jaguar, “Bonnie and Clyde” style.

If the Gulf Coast wasn’t infamous enough for doctors like Ben Brown and Thomas Shaknovsky, now we’ve got Dr. Elaine Sharp, a once well-respected 72-year-old OB/GYN in Gulf Breeze who is now charged with murder, manslaughter, money laundering, and racketeering, amongst other charges.

And we’ve got several other high-drama, headline making cases at home and across the country including a high-school homecoming King who was fatally harassed by online scammers in a sextortion case. We’ve had our own deep fake picture scandal here in Pensacola and the parents of the girls who were sexualized are up in arms about it.

Join us for this bonus episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast called, “Southern Fried Crime: updates, deaths, and sextortion.”

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"From That 70s Show to Prison: the Danny Masterson case" Oct 08, 2024

“That 70s Show” was one of the most popular TV shows in the1990s, taking people on a wholesome walk down memory lane down when long hair, bell bottoms, and hanging out was the norm.

One of the stars of the show was anything but wholesome in real life, according to prosecutors. Actor Danny Masterson was convicted of raping two women and sentenced to thirty to years life.

The victims said he drugged and repeatedly raped them and when they came forward with the accusations, they were allegedly shamed and attacked by members of the LAPD and the Church of Scientology for speaking up about the “heavily protected Masterson who was seen at the time as untouchable member of the Church of Scientology.”

The victims said he groomed them prior to being sexually assaulted by initially being charming but the charm gave way to undermining insults, degradation, and eventual emotional blackmail when he used their personal fears and traumas to blame them for his abuse, leading some to consider self-harm.

Join us for more on the “not cool and not so groovy” story of Danny Masterson in latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast “From That 70s Show to Prison: the Danny Masterson case.”

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Bossy, brassy Bree kills kind-hearted husband: the Bree Khun case Oct 04, 2024

Bree Kuhn seemed to want to win at all costs. The bossy, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer had moods as fiery as her red hair and although she often accused her husband, Collin Turner, of physical violence, according to witnesses she was the one who would attack him.

The night he died police were called to their Gulf Breeze, Florida home three times. First, Bree called insisting to officers he hurt her and demanding he be taken to jail.

They refused and left when they found no signs of violence, but returned when Collin called to say she had locked him out of their house, and he was afraid to leave her with their three children, still inside.

Body cam footage showed him calmly explaining the situation to officers and with no evidence of a crime they left again. By the third call, there was no question a crime had been committed, but it was Collin who was the victim.

He reported to 9-1-1 that his wife, apparently outraged that he was still in the home, had tried to break his arm and locked him in the garage. The young father was still on the phone with the dispatcher calmly describing his predicament when a shot rang out and a shocked and wounded Collin cried out, “She shot me!

She then shot him three more times, killing him, while their traumatized children heard it all from inside the house. Their family ripped apart and destroyed because she couldn’t make him leave or get him arrested.

Bree made the same claims of abuse to a Santa Rosa County jury when she was tried for Collin’s murder last week but just like police, they weren’t buying it.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Bossy, brassy Bree kills kind-hearted husband: the Bree Khun case.”

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Surgeon loses license after removing man’s liver instead spleen: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky blames mistake on ‘migrating’ organ Oct 02, 2024

“Migrating” organs, doctored reports, and pressuring operating room staff to cover for his “egregious” mistakes - the Florida Department of Health made no bones about the seriousness of Destin surgeon Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky’s treatment of two patients that left one person permanently injured, and cost another man his life.

For now, the state of Florida has suspended the doctor’s license in the wake of the tragedy that killed 70-year-old Bill Bryan when Shaknovsky removed his liver instead of his spleen, by mistake.
In both cases he removed the wrong organ and, as if taking out the wrong organ wasn’t bad enough, he tried to make the operating room staff complicit with his blunder, all but daring them to defy him as he “blindly” operated on Bryan and refused to take responsibility when it was clear he had made a fatal error.

Join us for more on the emergency order issued by the Florida Dept. of Health in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Surgeon loses license after removing man’s liver instead spleen: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky blames mistake on ‘migrating’ organ.”

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Battered Spouse or Murderer? The Marcia Thompson case Sep 24, 2024

Marcia Thompson shot her husband at least six times while he lay on the couch in his underwear in their Florida home. Prosecutors said it was murder, but she claimed it was self-defense.

A U.S. Customs Agent, Marcia was getting ready to leave the house for work. That morning was no different than many others before it. Terry Thompson fired a barrage of insults and death threats toward her and their children. But this time, Marcia Thompson had enough.

She took her service weapon and shot the husband she had known since college to death. Terry was 13-years her senior and the father of their children, but he was also the man who Marcia said spent decades demeaning and assaulting her, physically and sexually, until in fear for her life, she put an end to the abuse and to him.

Join us for more in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast called, “Battered Spouse or Murderer: the Marcia Thompson case.”

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Dirty politics, a toxic boss, and a murdered reporter: the Robert Telles story Sep 17, 2024

The truth hurts, but it killed 69-year-old Jeff German, an investigative reporter in Las Vegas.

The well-known reporter had spent more than four decades covering government and organized crime for Las Vegas’ two leading newspapers and was infamous for his fearless truth telling and confronting the powerful on behalf of the powerless.

Nothing daunted German, not even when a mobster once punched him in the face over one his articles. He took it as a badge of honor.

So, it was no surprise when German took on an elected official, Robert Telles, who was accused of abusing his county position and his employees, and creating a toxic workplace "mired in turmoil and internal dissension" caused by the administrator having an "inappropriate relationship" with a female staffer.

Telles, a former probate and estate lawyer, went on to lose his next election after German wrote a string of articles exposing Telles’ affair and the divisive mismanagement of his office. He was distraught over the loss and Telles’ mistress said he blamed German, even “hated” him, but it all part of the job for German.

Until the day the investigative reporter was found slashed to death just outside his home. German had been stabbed seven times in the neck and chest. Police believe he was ambushed and fought back before succumbing to his wounds.

Join us for how police were able to catch his killer in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast called “Dirty politics, a toxic boss, and a murdered reporter: The Robert Telles story.”

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Death on the Operating Table: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky accused of removing wrong organ Sep 11, 2024

Unconscious, exposed in every way. People are incredibly vulnerable when they go under in order to undergo surgery. They can’t argue, push back, or move out of the way once they’re on the operating table and under the knife.

Thinking of that helplessness breaks Beverly Bryan’s heart. Her tall, strong, and strapping husband was a force to be reckoned with when he was standing on his own two feet.

Not that Bill Bryan normally needed to be tough. The retired boilermaker’s family says he was an easy-going, Alabama football fan who loved his family and classic cars.

But when he had trouble with his spleen while on vacation in Florida, the Alabama man pushed back on the doctor’s recommendation to undergo surgery in the Sunshine State.

He said “No,” not just once, but many times.

Bill finally relented when the surgeon told him he could bleed out if he waited. Tragically, he bled out anyway. According to Bill’s medical records, he died when the surgeon mistakenly removed his liver instead of his spleen.

Bill could face a lot of challenges his wife said, but not one he never saw coming.

Join us for more in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Death on the Operating Table: Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky accused of removing wrong organ.”

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The Menards Vanish: Did doomsday prepper murder elderly couple at family friendly nudist ranch? Sep 03, 2024

Daniel and Stephanie Menard were well known and well liked in their small, close-knit community - Olive Dell Ranch, a family-friendly nudist resort in Colton, California.
The elderly couple loved the naturist lifestyle, their church and their little Shih Tzu, Cuddles, and they looked out for each other. Daniel Menard, 79, was a diabetic with dementia and 73-year-old Stephanie Menard, who walked with a cane.

The elderly couple had some good friends at the ranch, but their next-door neighbor, 62-year-old Michael Royce Sparks or “Sparky,” was not one of them.

Sparky told folks he “hated” the Menards because Daniel trimmed a tree that hung over into Sparks’ yard. Outside of that relationship, Sparky was pretty well liked at the ranch, too, although some people wondered why he often made so many trips to the home improvement store to buy cement.

Turns out Sparky, an apparent doomsday prepper, was hiding a few secrets that came to light when the Menards mysteriously vanished a week ago and he became the primary “person of interest” in their disappearance. Concerned about booby traps, police used a camera to investigate Sparky’s house and discovered human remains in a cement bunker beneath his house.

It took an armored truck to get him out of there. Now Sparks is charged with murder.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “The Menards Vanish: Did doomsday prepper murder elderly couple at family friendly nudist ranch?”

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Beauty Buyer Beware VII: Dr. Ben Brown Aug 30, 2024

Dr. Ben Brown, the Florida plastic surgeon arrested for the untimely death of his young wife, has legal battles on several fronts these days.
Brown has a pre-trial conference in Santa Rosa Count court next week on his negligent homicide charge. His attorney filed a motion to waive his appearance, but just two days ago Brown filed a motion asking to appear telephonically or virtual at the Sept. 3 hearing.
Also next week, Brown's office in Gulf Breeze, the place where he was performing several surgeries on Hillary Brown when she had seizures and coded from lidocaine toxicity last November, will be auctioned off since the bank foreclosed on the property.
And according to court records, another woman has come forward with a filing that she may sue him for medical malpractice.
In the meantime, Ben Brown still faces sanctions from the Florida Department of Health for failing to call 9-1-1 and perform basic life saving medical care on his wife after her heart stopped and for botching patient surgeries, but a hearing date has not yet been set for the Florida Board of Medicine to hear his case.
Join us for an update on Dr. Ben Brown in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, "Beauty Buyer Beware VII."

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Lululemon and Lane Bryant Murders – Retail Can Kill Ya! Aug 27, 2024

Fashion to die for. Shopping and combing the racks for clothes is supposed to be fun, even necessary at times, but not deadly.

The ladies in these next two cases went shopping for all the same reasons many of us do, to buy a new outfit for a special occasion, to pick up a gift for a friend, or to just kill time. Instead, they were killed.
Police are still looking for the man who gunned down four customers, a part-time employee and the store manager at a Lane Bryant in Chicago, Illinois, in 2008. They were all taken to the back and shot and at least one of the victims was sexually assaulted.

The store manager managed to call 9-1-1 before she was killed. When police arrived, only one woman had survived to tell police what happened.

A Lululemon Athletica store in a suburb of Washington, D.C. was the site of an even grislier slaying in 2011, when store clerk Brittany Norwood murdered her co-worker Jayna Murray, after the young woman caught Brittany shoplifting.

Murray was savagely attacked, sustaining at least 331 wounds from at least five different weapons, including a knife and a hammer. Norwood even injured herself and tried to make it look like she had been attacked and tied up, but police soon cut through all her lies.

It turns out murder is never in fashion. Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Lululemon and Lane Bryant Murders – Retail Can Kill Ya!”

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Mommy Killer III: Brandon Aydelott, Moving Through the System Aug 22, 2024

You’d have to be insane to kill your mother, but can you become un-insane? According to Florida State Hospital you can.

Several psychologists say Brandon Aydelott, who at 17 stabbed, slashed, beat and stomped his mother, Sharon Hill Aydelott, to death on Christmas Eve 2013 because she put him in rehab two weeks before he killed her, say he no longer meets the criteria for commitment at their facility for the criminally insane.

The 28-year-old Gulf Breeze man will be making his new home at the Apalachee Center in Quincy, Florida, once a bed opens up for at the 24/7 lockdown facility. Sharon’s sisters were hoping he would never be released from Florida State Hospital, and they question the criteria used to evaluate their nephew which is certainly not fool proof, but the best the field can do in measuring a person’s ability to not be homicidal.

They point out his life was charmed at the time he unleashed so much rage on his mother because she was worried enough about his violent and out-of-character behavior in the months leading up to his psychotic break that she led a family intervention to get him help, help he resented when the facility said his drug test came back clean. How would he handle stressors now after so much has happened, is their fear now.

Brandon Aydelott is in a secure facility now, but his mom’s family worries this is one step closer to the possibility of his release from state custody, where he’s been for years at their expense.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Mommy Killer III: Brandon Aydelott, Moving Through the System.”

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Wrapped in the mat: Kendrick Johnson’s family still grappling with boy’s death a decade later Aug 14, 2024

Kendrick Johnson was known for being a talented athlete, so how did the strong, healthy 17-year-old basketball player end up dying upside down, head-first in a rolled up wrestling mat in his high school gym?

Three autopsies, two exhumations, six tennis shoes, and lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in damages later there are still more questions than answers.

Kendrick’s parents are not backing down from their belief that their son was killed by another student, the son of a local FBI agent, and that’s why they will never accept that what happened was a freak accident or give up their pursuit of justice in the mysterious death.

Join us as we dive into the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Wrapped in the mat: Kendrick Johnson’s family still grappling with boy’s death a decade later.”

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Shot in the face: Deputy Sean Grayson in hot water for killing Sonya Massey, woman who called for help Aug 07, 2024

Shot in the face. Sonya Massey called 9-1-1 over a suspected prowler, not imagining the police would take aim at her when she was in her own house.

Illinois deputy Sean Grayson, who had a history of policing at five other police departments in 3 years, as well as allegations of misconduct in the military and other issues, was one of the officer’s who answered Massey’s call.

Instead of easing her fears, he stoked them. He marched Sonya around her own home ordering her to remove a pot of what he thought was boiling water from her stove. When she scurried to do as he demanded and grabbed the pot, Grayson backed away as if she was the threat which seemingly surprised Massey.

In light of his barely veiled accusation, the 36-year-old woman told him she “rebuked him in the name of Jesus,” and Grayson immediately pulled is gun.

Even though she was down on her knees apologizing, and never made a move to throw the pot of water, Grayson shot her in the face and the head over and over, and then told the other officer with him, “no need to help, it’s a head shot.”

Now the hot-headed deputy is in hot water himself, charged with Sonya’s murder.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Shot in the face: Deputy Sean Grayson in hot water now for killing Sonya Massey, woman who called for help.”

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Christmas Parade Crasher: The Darrell Brooks Side Show Jul 31, 2024

Darrell Brooks plowed through the Waukesha Christmas Parade like he was in the fast lane driving home from work in rush hour traffic. He drove around barriers in his race through the Wisconsin town, rarely hitting the brakes and only honking at the performers and parade goers who lined the street for the small town’s annual, holiday celebration.

Brooks didn’t seem to care he mowed some of them down, leaving young and old dead, injured and running for their lives. When police finally caught up with him, he had ditched his red SUV and denied he was ever behind the wheel.

During the trial for his crimes, Darrell Brooks tried to bowl the court over with the same stubborn, pedal-to-the-metal attitude he showed at the parade, only this time he hit a roadblock and wound up in prison.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast: “Christmas Parade Crasher: The Darrell Brooks side show.”

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Groomed by the Blue Line: The mysterious death of Sandra Birchmore Jul 24, 2024

Sandra Birchmore had nothing but respect and admiration for the police. So much so, that at 13-years-old she joined a police explorer’s program in her hometown in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She had lost members of her own family, including her mother, and the close-knit department helped fill a void in her life.

However, several officers in the program did more than just take the teenager under their wing. According to a lawsuit, brothers Matthew and William Farwell and another officer, Robert Devine, groomed Sandra for years before having sex with the girl and passing her around, beginning when she was just15.

The behavior and illicit relationships continued for years and might have gone unnoticed until Sandra’s untimely death in 2021. She was found dead in her apartment, and authorities said it was suicide.

That didn’t make sense to Sandra’s friends who said not only was she pregnant, she was excited about having a baby and the child was Matthew Farwell’s, a married father and detective.

New information has come to light since Sandra Birchmore’s death, not only about the scandalous accusations of statutory rape but a new investigation determined her death was a homicide and Matthew Farwell was the last one to see her alive.

Join us for a closer look at this case in New England where protestors are calling for justice, in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Groomed by the Blue Line: The mysterious death of Sandra Birchmore.”

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Drowning on the Fourth of July: What happened to Avery Pickle? Jul 18, 2024

Avery Pickle was a young man who looked out for others. The 17-year-old Elberta High School student was a valued member of the football team, as well as a competitive wrestler, and super likable. He was kind and the kind of guy everybody wanted to be around, thanks to his quick wit, and charm, and easy-going personality.

He made friends easily and with everyone from his fellow students to his co-workers at Pirates Cove in the small Gulf Coast city of Elberta, Alabama. This past 4th of July, Avery was leaning toward staying at home, but friends called him to come out and enjoy the holiday. And why not? The soon-to-be-senior had a bright future and his whole life ahead of him. He was excited about his last year in high school and planning to double major in college.

But those dreams drowned in a curious incident that cost the strong and strapping teenager his life on the 4th of July. A tragedy that touched a nerve in the small community and we’ve ended up with more questions than answers.
Join us for another homegrown episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast: “Drowning on the Fourth of July: What happened to Avery Pickle?”

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Bully-cide: The case of Aubreigh Wyatt Jul 16, 2024

Aubreigh Wyatt loved making tik toks, four-wheeling, and her family. The 13-year-old Ocean Springs, Mississippi middle schooler was a lot like any all American-girl her age, she liked to laugh, have fun, and still get good grades and make it to Sunday school.

Sadly, like a lot of other children her age, finding the right friend group was also hard. Aubreigh’s mother, Heather Wyatt, thought her daughter was too forgiving and tolerant of the insults, cruelty, and bullying Aubreigh endured for years with her own friend group.

Wyatt said she repeatedly asked the school district for help, but felt ignored and minimized. It’s exactly how she feels now in the wake of her daughter’s sudden death at her own hand. In Heather’s grief and outrage, the young mother poured out her hurt and frustration on social media and although she didn’t name names, the families of the girls Heather Wyatt believe bullied her child sued her to keep quiet because they too were now being targeted and harassed.

While a court order may have partially silenced Heather, for now, the response to the handling of the case has been deafening with millions on social media watching, following, and supporting her cause because like Heather and Aubreigh Wyatt, families around the country and the world are dealing with bullies.

Join us for another homegrown episode of Gulf Coast Confidential podcast “Bully-cide: the case of Aubreigh Wyatt.”

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Treadmill dad runs 6-year-old child to death: the Christopher Gregor case Jul 10, 2024

After being an absent father, Christopher Gregor waltzed into his 6-year-old son’s life expecting everyone to fall in line. He ran little Corey Micciollo and the boy’s mother like a drill sergeant.

Corey was the result of an unfortunate tryst between his parents, and he never knew his father until his mom applied for financial assistance and a paternity test was required.

Reluctantly and at the pleading of his own parents, Gregor stepped in as Corey’s dad for the first time in their lives. Gregor pranced his son around to his family like an adorable little puppy, but behind closed doors he ran the first grader like a racetrack greyhound.

He would force him to run so hard on a treadmill in his condo complex that the boy stumbled and fell repeatedly, and Gregor always shoved him back on, at one point even grabbing Corey in frustration and biting his head.

The abuse was caught on video and it's hard to watch, but it’s also the evidence that helped put Gregor in prison when he brought his son’s all but lifeless body to the emergency room.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Treadmill dad runs 6-year-old child to death: the Christopher Gregor case.”

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Zipped to death: the Sarah Boone ‘suit’ case Jul 03, 2024

8 is enough - lawyers that is! A judge finally put his foot down and has had it with Sarah Boone, the Orlando area woman who is accused of killing her boyfriend by zipping him up in a suitcase during a drunken game of hide-and-seek.

Boone was charged with second degree murder for the homicide of Jorge Torres Jr. whose suffocation death in a suitcase she said was his own fault. Boone even took video of his weak pleas for her to let him out, while she laughed and enjoyed his torture.

After calling her court appointed attorneys derogatory names and running them off with repeatedly rude and uncooperative behavior, the judge finally said Boone can represent herself.

Will the ruling finally bring this four-year-old homicide to trial?

Grab your popcorn and join us courtside for this true crime spectacle on the latest Gulf Coast Confidential podcast episode “Zipped to death: the Sarah Boone ‘suit’ case.”

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Beauty Buyer Beware VI Jun 28, 2024

Dr. Ben Brown or someone claiming to be him had a lot to say on the doctor’s Facebook page. Restore Plastic Surgery, this week. The Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon is charged with negligent homicide in the death of his wife Hillary, who died after her heart stopped during procedures he was performing on her in his office. He has denied any wrongdoing.

While out on bond, this bizarre, petulant rant appeared not only describing Hillary’s death as simply an “unexplainable tragedy,” he immediately started slinging accusations that I was spreading “falsities” in my coverage of him and a patient who shared her story with the media of gaping wounds and an unauthorized Brazilian Butt Lift was making “false allegations” about his work.

As if that wasn’t enough, he posted pictures of her near naked body and personal information for all the world to see. He added that he could go on and on and on in his own defense and used a red marker to make his points like a teacher correcting a paper.

The invitation still stands for Brown to go “on and on and on” about what happened to his wife and the patients who claim he botched their surgeries on Gulf Coast Confidential, the originator of the Beauty Buyer Beware podcast series.

In this latest episode, hear from the patient Brown exposed and what she has to say about this shocking and unprofessional betrayal of her trust with a medical doctor and her dignity, which some patients say seems to be standard operating procedure, no pun intended.

Join us for “Beauty Buyer Beware VI.”

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Kendra Licari: the Motha of all Catfish! Jun 27, 2024

Have you been catfished? Lawd, I’m not even sure what that means, but when I think of a catfish, I see a big, ugly, opportunistic bottom dweller with spiky whiskers. It’s not much different with people who use “catfishing” to lure and deceive someone.

It’s ugly enough when a stranger puts on a false persona, but what if it’s your own mother?!

That’s what happened to a 15-year-old girl in Michigan who was bullied so badly online and on her phone that her school and the FBI got involved. Instead of discovering that a character crushing stranger was tormenting the teen, the investigation hooked her momma on the other end of the line.

Dive in with us into the murky waters of duping others, in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Kendra Licari: the Motha of all Catfish!”

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Beauty Buyer Beware V: Dr. Ben Brown Jun 19, 2024

Florida plastic surgeon, Dr. Ben Brown, has been arrested for the untimely death of his young wife, Hillary Brown. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office charged Brown with Second Degree Felony Homicide: Manslaughter by Culpable Negligence.
Investigators say he not only failed to immediately call for help when 33-year-old Hillary went into cardiac arrest in his office surgical chair while he was performing several cosmetic surgeries on her, he allowed her to mix and take her own meds and anesthetic solution, failed to stop when she showed signs of lidocaine toxicity, and did not have life-saving equipment on hand when her heart stopped.
Investigators say it's a pattern of "unsafe" behavior that ultimately led to Hillary Brown's death and her husband's arrest. In the meantime, patients who say Brown botched their surgeries are still coming forward, while the Florida Department of Health calls for penalties against the plastic surgeon.
Brown denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
Join us for the latest episode of "Beauty Buyer Beware V: Dr. Ben Brown" on Gulf Coast Confidential. Listen to "Beauty Buyer Beware" episodes I - IV to catch up on how this case unfolded since we broke the story seven months ago and have been following it closely.

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No Time for Nodine - the Angel Down’s case: Suicide or Homicide? Jun 18, 2024

Alabama politician Stephen Nodine seemed to have it all and then some. The Mobile County Commissioner was well-known for his charm and charisma which served him well in his successful political career, but became a stumbling block in his personal life.

The middle-aged married man and father met the young and beautiful Angel Downs in 2004, at the Flora-Bama Lounge Mullet Toss, a beach party on Florida’s Gulf Coast. They both loved the beach and each other, but for years Nodine refused to give up his wife or his mistress no matter who it hurt.

Until the night in 2010 when Angel died from a gunshot wound to the head in the driveway of her Gulf Shores, Alabama home. Her death launched an investigation that cost Nodine everything including his freedom and made him the focus of true crime shows across the country.

Some folks might shy away from that kind of publicity, but not Stephen Nodine. He seeks the limelight like he does the sunlight that attracted him to the beaches of Pensacola, the Gulf Coast city he now calls home.

Join us for more on the case and an update on what Nodine’s been up to since the tragedy in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “No Time for Nodine - the Angel Down’s case: Suicide or Homicide?”

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The Bitter Ex, Big Bucks, and the Bomb: The Gary Triano story Jun 11, 2024

The bomb that killed millionaire real estate developer Gary Triano caused an explosion so big, it sent pieces of his car crashing around the country club where it happened.

In the mid-1990s, Triano was a well-known businessman who rubbed elbows with the likes of Donald Trump and his then wife Marla Maples. He lost big on some failed business investments, but who hated him enough to pay for a professional hit?

Someone who stood to gain $2 million at his death and escaped justice for nearly twenty years before the court caught up with her.

Join us for the latest Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “The Bitter Ex, Big Bucks, and the Bomb: the Gary Triano story.”

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Suicide by Text: the Conrad Roy case Jun 06, 2024

Conrad Roy was no quitter. If anything, the 18-year-old marine salvage captain with an endearing smile put a lot of pressure on himself to work hard and succeed.

Maybe a little too much pressure. Sometimes his depression took a dark turn and he wanted to follow through on ending his pain, permanently.

Most of the time he didn’t give in, until attention-seeking Michelle Carter entered the “chat.” She was a summer vacation crush who took anti-depressants, too.

That’s why it was so shocking when Conrad climbed out of his fume filled truck during a suicide attempt that she urged him not to quit one last time and get back in.

No one ever saw this coming.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Suicide by Text: the Conrad Roy case.”

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Sudden Passion: defense or excuse? The case of Frances Hall May 31, 2024

Frances Hall’s husband and business partner of more than 30 years was cheating, and he didn’t bother to hide it. Adding insult to injury, the trucking tycoon’s girlfriend flaunted their affair in France’s face.

The scorned wife couldn’t put the brakes on her fury when she saw her husband’s mistress driving the Hall’s Range Rover and chased her down the highway, repeatedly ramming the car.

Unfortunately for unfaithful husband Bill Hall, Jr., he was caught in the middle on his motorcycle and had a deadly collision with his wife’s Cadillac Escalade.

There was no question the crash killed him, but was it calculated or out of Frances’ control?

Join us for more on this deadly love triangle in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Sudden Passion: defense or excuse? The case of Frances Hall.”

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Deadly Apple River Stabbing: Don’t Go Pinocchio May 23, 2024

A relaxing day on the river turned into a deadly moment of terror and horror for a group of young people and a middle-aged man they had surrounded.

Video of the deadly encounter shows 54-year-old Nicolae Miu looking for a friend’s lost cell phone when a group of intoxicated teens and young adults began taunting and teasing him over unfounded suspicions he was preying on children.

Miu, who is originally from Romania, tried to avoid them, but the group kept pushing closer until he pulled a pocket-knife he had brought to cut rope and began knifing them instead. One teen died and other people with him were injured.

Miu was charged with reckless homicide, endangering others, and battery. He claimed self-defense, but the jury convicted him. Why? Because despite the video evidence, when there was blood in the water Miu walked away and initially lied about being involved.

Join us for more on the controversial case in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Deadly Apple River Stabbing: Don’t Go Pinocchio.”

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Slender Man has no face, these tweenagers have no heart May 17, 2024

Urban legends are nothing new, but tweenagers attempting to murder a friend at a sleepover in order to appease an ominous one certainly is.

In 2014, two 12-year-old girls, Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, lured their friend Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times in sacrifice to the fictional character Slender Man.

The girls’ shared madness nearly cost Payton her life, but the girl managed to stumble, walk, and crawl to the side of a road for help. Like many parents who allow their kids to go to sleepovers, her parents never imagined her night at a friend’s house would end in terror.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Slender Man has no face, these tweenagers have no heart.”

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Beauty Buyer Beware IV: Dr. Ben Brown May 08, 2024

The Florida Department of Health has issued an emergency order immediately restricting the medical license of Dr. Ben Brown, the Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon whose wife, Hillary Brown, died after he performed several procedures on her after hours in his office last November.

State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo said Brown’s “inability or unwillingness” to follow basic medical procedure presents an “immediate serious danger to the health, welfare, and safety of the public” and to the citizens of the state of Florida.
Allegations include performing unauthorized Brazilian butt lifts on patients, leaving an unlocked medicine cabinet open in his Restore Plastic Surgery office so employees could help themselves to meds that would "take the edge off," and allowing his wife, an unlicensed medical professional, to perform procedures on patients including herself the day she went into cardiac arrest.
Brown responded to the allegations through his crisis management public relations team.
"This is an ongoing investigation, and therefore we cannot comment on specific details," Red Banyan wrote in an email. "However, this public order was issued without Dr. Brown having any opportunity to dispute the allegations against him through any hearing process. These accusations are inaccurate and misleading, and Dr. Brown looks forward to the opportunity to defend himself and present the actual facts through a hearing process in the future. Dr. Brown continues to live an endless nightmare without his wife Hillary by his side, and these inaccurate allegations only further deepen his immense pain.”
However, some of Brown's former patients, employees, and the father of his deceased wife say the state's order doesn't go far enough. Join us for details on the state's order and heartbreaking accounts from patients in "Beauty Buyer Beware IV: Dr. Ben Brown."

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Alex King rest in peace, finally May 02, 2024

Alex King, one of two brothers who made headlines worldwide in 2001 when they confessed to beating their unsuspecting father to death with a baseball bat in Pensacola, Florida, when they were just 12 and 13 years old, has died.
Now 35, Alex died of a drug overdose according to family. It's a demon he has been battling for years and his family says he lost the fight against addiction in Missoula, Montana where he was living when he overdosed.
His family is now planning a memorial service later this summer that they say will be open to everyone. I covered this case from the beginning and wrote a book on it, "A Perversion of Justice." This is not the ending myself and many others were hoping for when the boys made headlines as young murderers more than twenty years ago, but it is the end of a painful journey for a young man who has suffered for a long time.
Join us for an update on the King Brothers in "Alex King rest in peace, finally."

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Freckle Face Killer May 01, 2024

Eric Smith was only 13 years old when he murdered a child. Smith, a red-headed, freckle-faced boy with thick glasses, was something of a loner and said he was often targeted by bullies. When he saw four-year-old Derrick Robie walking alone to a summer day camp at the park, in 1993, he became the bully.

Smith lured the happy, blonde headed boy neighbors nicknamed “the mayor” into the woods where he strangled him and dropped a large rock on his head, among other atrocities.

Smith spent nearly thirty years in prison for the boy’s murder, but now at 44-years-old he is out on parole, despite pleas from Derrick’s family to keep him locked up for good.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Freckle Face Killer.”

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Mom Killer Two-Point-OHHH! Florida pre-med student stabs mom to death Apr 25, 2024

A popular Florida teacher happily opened the door of her home to her son when he came to visit, but her gladness turned to fear and horror when the young man pulled a knife and started stabbing his mother until she lay dead on the floor.

Sound familiar?

This is not the case of popular middle school teacher Sharon Aydelott who was stabbed to death by her son, Brandon Aydelott, in the doorway of her Gulf Breeze home on Christmas Eve 2013, but the murder of 46-year-old Elvia Espinoza, a teacher in South Florida, is eerily similar.

Espinoza’s son was a pre-med student at the University of Florida who police say drove to his mother’s home in Frostproof and waited with a knife behind his back for her to open the door. Like Sharon Aydelott, she was expecting him, but not the vicious attack.

Investigators say she had called him at school with plans to visit, but instead Emmanuel Espinoza said he’d come to see her and save her the trip. They say he stabbed her more than 70 times because “she got on his nerves.”

Will he, like Brandon Aydelott, also claim voices told him to do it?

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Mom Killer Two-Point-OHHH! Florida pre-med student stabs mom to death.”

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Murder, it’s as easy as pie…um, or cheesecake-Russian dominatrix poisons look-a-like Apr 18, 2024

Cheesecake, poison, and a Russian dominatrix – what a recipe!

A Russian born woman is now serving time in prison for trying to steal the identify of her look-a-like aesthetician by killing her with a piece of poisoned cheesecake.

It turns out it was just the latest act in an international crime spree.

Join us for this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential: “Murder, it’s as easy as pie…um, or cheesecake - Russian dominatrix poisons look-a-like."

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Amicide: With Friends Like Annette Harvey, Who Needs Enemies? Apr 09, 2024

Jealousy can kill a friendship in a heartbeat. Just ask Annette Harvey. Harvey’s best friend since childhood, Robin Leonard, took in the struggling mother’s children after Harvey had a mental breakdown in 2021.

Leonard, a college professor and mother herself, was glad to help her friend while she recovered and got back on her feet. However, Harvey grew to resent Leonard’s generous gesture and the stable life she gave her kids.

In a brutal and calculated attack, Harvey stabbed her childhood friend 15 times in Leonard’s own home. She lived long enough to name her killer, but at trial Harvey claimed she was insane at the time of the crime and deep down truly cared for her friend. What did the jury believe?

Join us for more on the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Amicide: With friends like Annette Harvey, who needs enemies?”

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That Mouth Will Get Into You Trouble Every Time: Dr. Charles Stamitoles Apr 02, 2024

Dr. Charles Stamitoles is only a few months into his two-year prison sentence for lying to an Escambia County judge. The Pensacola dentist accused of inappropriately touching patients and employees wouldn’t be spending as much time behind bars if he hadn’t.

Stamitoles was convicted of multiple battery charges including cornering a young woman who worked for him and slapping her backside, kissing her neck, and grabbing her from her behind, leaving her scared and shaken.

However, it was Stamitoles’ lies to the judge about his trip to Mobile while out on bond that put him behind bars for as long as he is.

Join us for an update on Stamitoles’ criminal and civil cases in the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “That mouth will get you into trouble every time: Dr. Charles Stamitoles.”

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Mom-fluencer Ruby Franke Makes Millions Peddling Child Abuse Mar 27, 2024

Mothers are naturally expected to love and protect their children, not torture and torment them.

Ruby Franke claimed to be a loving mother. In fact, the young, passionate mom amassed a billion views and millions of dollars from her YouTube-famous show, “8 Passengers,” which followed the daily lives of Franke, her husband, and their six children in Utah.

The wholesome show took an unholy turn behind the scenes, though, when it was discovered Ruby Franke and her friend and fellow You-Tuber, Jodi Hildebrandt, were cruelly and criminally practicing what they preached about being an authoritarian parent on Franke’s younger children.

Their on-camera teachings were bad enough. Off-camera police say it was even worse. No one knew just how awful until one day, Ruby Franke’s emaciated, 12-year-old son showed up at a neighbor’s door, wounded, bound, and begging for water.

Join us for more on the case in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Mom-fluencer Ruby Franke makes millions peddling child abuse.”

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He Killed His Mother for Heaven's Sake! Update Mar 23, 2024

Confessed mommy killer Brandon Aydelott has a status hearing coming up, Tuesday, March 26, to determine where he should go now that the Department of Children and Families says he no longer meets the criteria for placement at Florida State Hospital, for the criminally insane.

Aydelott’s aunt and the victim’s sister, Pam Hill, sat down with me on the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast to talk about the possibility of her nephew’s eventual release back into the community,

Join us for the episode, “He killed his mother for heaven's sake! Update."

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Dead Degrees: from Dorm to Grave Mar 19, 2024

Death is the last thing on the minds of most college students when they go off to school. It’s supposed to be a time of new beginnings, not tragic endings.

For three young women and their families, dreams and lives were cut short all because they unknowingly crossed paths with a predator.

Just last month, 22-year-old Laken Riley was killed while jogging on campus at the University of Georgia in February. It’s similar to what happened to 20-year-old University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts, in 2018, who was attacked and killed while running near her home.

Tragically, a Gulf Coast co-ed was murdered in 1993, while leaving class at the University of West Florida. Susan Morris was 21-years-old, and wearing her new Christmas sweater when she was attacked and killed by a man who has since been executed for the crime.

Join us for more on these cases in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Dead Degrees: from Dorm to Grave.”

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Accused of fentanyl poisoning her husband, then authoring children’s grief book: "I’ll take ‘Who is Kouri Richins?’ for $100, Alex." Mar 13, 2024

Kouri Richins was well-known in her hometown as a busy mom, wife, and realtor. In all her family and work photos the pretty brunette flashed the same sparkling, white-toothed smile, giving the appearance of a picture-perfect life.

However, behind her killer grin was someone police say friends and neighbors didn’t know – a cold, calculating woman driven by greed who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, even murder her husband.

Investigators say the mother of three was so shameless she wrote a children’s book on grief to help her young sons cope with their father’s unexpected passing and is planning to write another novel behind bars while she waits to stand trial.

Join us for the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Accused of fentanyl poisoning her husband, then authoring children’s grief book: “I’ll take ‘Who is Kouri Richins?’ for $100, Alex.”

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Beauty Buyer Beware III Mar 06, 2024

Hillary Brown’s cause of death is still pending, but answers are slowly coming out.
Besides Major Crimes with the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Health is also investigating Dr. Ben Brown, who was performing procedures on his young wife at his Gulf Breeze office when she went into cardiac arrest.

Although the details of the state’s investigation aren’t being released, it comes as more patients are sharing their experiences with Ben Brown.

Some say their pleas and complaints about his “shoddy work” were not only discounted, but they were shamed and blamed into believing their suffering was their own fault.

We’re also learning more about the legal loopholes that some patients say kept them from finding justice, as more reports and information are expected.

Join us for this third installment of Beauty Buyer Beware in a continuing series on the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast.

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Diaper wearing astronaut: An out-of-this-world love triangle Feb 28, 2024

Armed with a steel mallet, a BB gun, a knife and pepper spray, astronaut, and married mother of three, Lisa Nowak, set out on a mission in 2007, to get rid of the new girlfriend her astronaut boyfriend was seeing.

To save time on her cross-country mission, police said Nowak wore a diaper so she wouldn’t have to stop on her way from Houston, Texas to Orlando, Florida to confront the younger woman at the airport.

Only this mission didn’t turn out as planned and it cost all three of them.

During this month of love, join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Diaper wearing astronaut: An out-of-this-world love triangle.”

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Who’s to Blame? School shooter mom charged with manslaughter Feb 23, 2024

School shooter mom, Jennifer Crumbley, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for missing or ignoring red flags prior to her son, Ethan, opening fire at his high school and killing four teenagers.

Crumbley faces at least 15 years in prison when she’s scheduled to be sentenced April 9, in a landmark case about parental responsibility.

It’s part of a push by some prosecutors to hold parents accountable if they’re suspected of enabling their children to commit deadly violence, like neglecting warning signs.

But is it fair or was she more than just a “bad mom?” We talked about this case before a jury found her guilty.

Join us for this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast: “Who’s to Blame? School shooter mom charged with manslaughter.”

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Plastic surgery loving yoga teacher on the lamb circles back to kill professional lady cyclist Feb 20, 2024

Murder by yoga instructor took the life of a young, professional cyclist. All Moriah “Mo” Wilson did to make herself a target was date Kaitlyn Armstrong’s boyfriend when the two had taken a break.

Kaitlyn stalked the pro cyclist to a friend’s house, gunned Mo down, and then ran from police when evidence of the crime led them to her door. The yoga instructor went on the lam, even going as far as having plastic surgery to change her appearance, but investigators saw through her disguise.

Join us for the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast episode: “Plastic surgery loving yoga teacher on the lamb circles back to kill professional lady cyclist.”

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108 Stabs: Female Kills Boyfriend in Weed Induced Psychotic Frenzy Feb 14, 2024

Can cannabis make someone a killer? During this month of love on the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, we’re catching up on cases of romance-gone-wrong.

In this episode, a young woman took two hits of marijuana from her boyfriend’s bong and then took him out. The attack was so vicious, there was a hole in his chest where his heart used to be.

The victim’s family called it murder. She called it cannabis induced psychosis. When a jury agreed, the young man’s family said justice went up in smoke.

Join us for “108 Stabs: female kills boyfriend in weed induced psychotic frenzy.”

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Me and the M.E., Married to Death: The murder of the Panama City medical examiner’s wife Feb 07, 2024

Death was Dr. Bill Sybers' business. The Panama City medical examiner was the one who investigated when someone died, especially when it was unexplained.

When his own wife, Kay, passed suddenly in 1991, Sybers insisted she died of natural causes. He didn’t even order an autopsy and went straight to embalming her body.

Why wouldn’t people take the expert word of the top doc of death in the Florida Gulf Coast city?

Many people did until police found several odd injection marks on Kay’s body and discovered Sybers had been having an affair with a woman he soon married.

Join us for more on how the murderous truth was finally uncovered in this episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast: “Me and the M.E.: Married to Death. The murder of the Panama City Medical Examiner’s wife.”

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He Picked Her Poison – Mayo Clinic doctor accused of secretly serving fatal drug to pharmacist wife Jan 31, 2024

Dr. Connor and Betty Bowman had a picture-perfect relationship. They both worked for Mayo Clinic, he was a poison specialist, and she was a pharmacist.
They had an open relationship, but despite a few kinks and concerns, it all seemed to be going smoothly until the day Connor Bowman allegedly poisoned his wife’s smoothie.

It wasn’t long before detectives realized Bowman had a girlfriend, a lot of debt, and a hefty life insurance policy on Betty.

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “He Picked Her Poison – Mayo Clinic doctor accused of secretly serving fatal drug to pharmacist wife.”

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Beauty Buyer Beware II: Dr. Ben Brown Jan 26, 2024

Physical carnage, emotional shrapnel. Unimaginable information is coming out about Dr. Ben Brown, the Gulf Coast plastic surgeon whose wife died after going under in his office surgical chair for elective, "minor" procedures.

The untimely death of 33-year-old Hillary Brown is still under investigation, but you can hear first-hand why some former patients and employees say her husband needs to be "stopped."

Join us for the latest on the case involving Dr. Ben Brown in this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, "Beauty Buyer Beware II."

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Pamela "not-so-smart" Smart Jan 24, 2024

The relationship between a 15-year-old boy and his “self-awareness” class teacher took a dark turn in 1990, when the young, married woman took an unhealthy interest in the creative teen. Before long, she seduced him and convinced the boy to not only keep quiet about their illicit affair but also to kill her husband.

Pamela Smart, whose arrest and trial inspired the movie “To Die For,” wants her lifetime prison sentence reduced for conspiring to commit the murder.

Join us for the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential on Pamela “Not so Smart” Smart.

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Cash in the Collard Greens Pot Jan 17, 2024

Secret deals, cash bribes, and a body under a house. Pensacola has a scandalous past when it comes to political corruption.
Florida's westernmost county, Escambia, made headlines in 2004 when a state investigation revealed multiple county leaders were meeting in secret and making million dollar deals at the taxpayers' expense. One commissioner even accepted a cash bribe in a collard greens pot. He was later found dead under a house from an apparent suicide.
Their corruption was exposed, in part, thanks to Florida's Sunshine Law which gives people access to governmental meetings and proceedings.
In this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Cash in the Collard Greens Pot,” join us for a discussion about the scandal that put "scam" in Escambia County and why open government is important to keep history from repeating itself.

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Recipe for a Scandal Jan 17, 2024

Why go under a house to die? That’s the question many people in Pensacola, Florida have been asking since Willie Junior, the first Black man elected to the Escambia County Commission in recent history, turned up dead under a house in 2004.

The coroner ruled his death a suicide.
Junior had reason to be stressed, his role in a government corruption scandal cost him his job and lavish lifestyle and was about to send him to prison, along with another powerful politician.
Junior, the man who once had everybody talking about his “drive through mortuary” business, was now the talk-of-the-town for taking a cash bribe in a collard greens pot.
Still, many thought crawling under a house to drink beer and anti-freeze seemed like an unusual way to commit suicide, especially for Junior who enjoyed the finer things in life like nice suits and flashy cars. He even got a haircut the day he disappeared.
In this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, "Recipe for a Scandal," join me for more on one of the biggest political scandals to rock Northwest Florida.
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Pow, Pow, Popcorn Murder! Jan 09, 2024

Murder in the movies is something you only expect to see onscreen. At a Tampa movie theatre in 2014, the real drama was in the audience.

Retired police SWAT captain Curtis Reeves shot and killed Chad Oulson, a Gulf War veteran and father of a young daughter. In fact, Oulson was texting with the babysitter during the movie previews when Reeves told him to turn off his phone and complained about it to theater staff.

The two men exchanged words and Oulson tossed popcorn in the older man’s face. Reeves pulled his handgun and shot Oulson to death, he claimed in self-defense.

Join us as we talk about the trial and why jurors thought popping off over popcorn was a justifiable killing, in this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Pow, Pow, Popcorn Murder.”

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Blue on Blue Crime: No Bro Code!! Jan 03, 2024

It's not unusual for friends to cut loose when they visit Pensacola Beach. Whether people come for work or play, it's fun to party in paradise and Oklahoma police chief Lucky Miller and detective Mike Nealey were no different.
What is unusual is that only one of the men left alive.
In 2019, the lawmen were staying on Pensacola Beach for a conference on death investigations and soon became the focus of one.
An alcohol fueled fight between the long-time friends was so violent the coroner said the hits Miller took from Nealey had the same impact as a car accident.
What would drive a man to beat his friend to death with his bare hands? Join us as we explore what happened in a Pensacola Beach hotel room in this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, "Blue on Blue Crime: No Bro Code!!"

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He Killed His Mother for Heaven's Sake! Dec 27, 2023

On Christmas Eve in 2013, on one of the most sacred holidays of the Christian calendar, 17-year-old Brandon Aydelott hacked, beat, and stomped his mother to death in the doorway of her Gulf Breeze, Florida home without warning. He left the popular middle school science teacher in a pool of her own blood with two knife blades embedded in her skull, among other gruesome injuries.

The teen was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the crime and his mother's family thought he would stay in custody at Florida's psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Yet Brandon Aydelott spent the ten year anniversary of killing his mommy close to home at the Santa Rosa County Jail, because the Department of Children and Families said he "no longer meets the criteria for continued commitment" at Florida State Hospital.
Join me for a conversation with Sharon Aydelott's sister who says the news comes as a painful disappointment, especially when they were told he would likely never get out, because "he killed his mother for heaven's sake!"

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"Achoo!! Affluenza or BS: Ethan Couch" Dec 20, 2023

Achoo!! Grab a tissue because it turns out "Affluenza" isn't even a real psychiatric illness, but it spread like a virus, when a Texas teenager used it to defend killing four people and injuring nine others while driving drunk.
Ethan Couch, now 26, claimed he didn't know right from wrong due to his family's wealth and is scheduled to finish probation this month, for the 2013 deadly accident.
From running to Mexico to making a psuedo-science term mainstream, join us for more on the case in the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, "Achoo!! Affluenza or BS: Ethan Couch."

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Teacher's Pet Dec 13, 2023

Parents send their children to school for an education and trust that they are in safe hands with the people who are teaching them.
One young boy caught the eye of his pretty, blonde teacher when he was only in the second grade. Fast forward a few years later, and the married mother of four was convinced she had an "instantaneous bond" with the child, even though he was not quite 13 years old.
She pursued him like a lover and the special attention she gave the boy turned their relationship from platonic to sexual. When her secret was uncovered, teacher Mary Kay Letourneau called it "love," the law called it rape.
In this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, we revisit the headline making case that inspired a new movie and highlighted the dangers of being the "Teacher's Pet."

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Beauty Buyer Beware: Dr. Ben Brown Dec 08, 2023

One would never think a little nip/tuck would kill you. After all, it is just a minor procedure. Or is it? Not so fast, there. Medication and sedation are part of the process. You’re still going under the knife, or laser, or needle, with trained and licensed staff. What could go wrong?

Not to be tongue in cheek, but it turns out plenty. An investigation is now underway into the death of a Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon’s wife, who according to family and police reports went into cardiac arrest while her husband, Dr. Ben Brown, was performing procedures on her at his office.

Join us for the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Beauty Buyer Beware.”

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Don't Blink! The Eyedrop Murder Nov 29, 2023

When retired beautician Lynn Hernan turned up dead in her living room chair, surrounded by her medications, a close friend's story that she likely committed suicide didn't seem impossible. The older woman had been down and her health had been declining.
Even when tests showed Hernan was poisoned by eyedrops, few people batted an eye because she sometimes put eyedrops in her drink to help with other health issues.

The murderous betrayal might have gone unnoticed but for another friend, one who knew something was off and refused to turn a blind eye.

Join us for more on how the truth came to light in this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential: “Don’t Blink! The Eyedrop Murder.”

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Chris Watts Did What?! Nov 21, 2023

It’s one thing for a man to cheat on his wife, but one husband and father murdered his whole family rather than give up his girlfriend and their fitness-focused way of life.

In 2018, pregnant mother and devoted wife, Shanann Watts returned home late from a work trip, ready to say goodnight to her 3 and 4-year-old daughters and enjoy a romantic night with her husband, Chris Watts.

However, Chris Watts had other plans. When the young mother and their two girls disappeared, friends suspected something bad had happened, but they had no idea just how horrible it was until their bodies were found a couple of days later.

Join us for the latest episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Chris Watts Did What?!”

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Dealt a Deadly Hand Nov 15, 2023

Sometimes lending a helping hand can be deadly. A reporter in Pensacola, Florida with a generous heart and a lucrative hobby put his cards on the table with people who were playing for higher stakes.
The Cormier brothers were down on their luck when they connected with Sean Dugas over a mutual hobby - fantasy trading cards. Sean's collection was the envy of the most avid collector and it turns out, the most avarice ones, as well.
Known for his wide smile and free spirit, Dugas never suspected the twin Cormier brothers wanted anything other than a place to stay, until one of them chased him down with a hammer and killed him in his own home.
Join us for the latest of episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, Dealt a Deadly Hand, for more on the murder of Sean Dugas.

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Inmate Update: Where are they now? Nov 07, 2023

Pensacola crimes have been making headlines, some for what happened years ago, others just weeks ago.

In this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, “Inmate Update: Where are they now?” we’re revisiting the case of car and cocaine dealer Ron Samuels who was convicted of hiring hitmen to kill his ex-wife, Heather. His failed attempts may have left her paralyzed, but it turns out she has outlived him.

We’ve also got the latest on Pam’s nephew, Brandon Aydelott. It has been almost ten years since he killed his mother on Christmas Eve and was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. How close is he to being released from Florida State Hospital for the criminally insane?

We’ll also have more on the Alabama mother who helped her son murder his daughter’s mother inside a Pensacola Home Depot.

Plus, dentist Dr. Charles Stamitoles is out of jail, much to the concern of some of his alleged victims. What’s happened since he lost his license to practice dentistry amid accusations that he inappropriately touched staff and patients.

Join us for “Inmate Update: Where are they now?”

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No Lifeguard on Duty Nov 01, 2023

A boy, a boat, and a birthday party. What should have been a celebration of life ended in a child’s death and a case that took years to surface.

Join my co-host Pam Hill and me, investigative journalist Mollye Barrows, for “No Lifeguard on Duty,” a conversation about the first case I covered on Gulf Coast Confidential called, “Sink or Swim.”

In this episode, we discuss the tragic drowning of 12-year-old Dondre Lewis in 2016, a fun-loving Pensacola middle schooler who died swimming off a borrowed yacht during a birthday party for his pastor’s son.

The boy’s parents thought their son was in good hands only to find out later that no one went after Dondre when he went under and the party continued.

Find out why it took so long for their story to be told in “No Lifeguard on Duty.”

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From May Day to Pay Day Oct 25, 2023

As far as get-away-plans go, former financial advisor Marcus Schrenker plotted one that looked like a scene out of an action movie. In 2009, the 39-year-old Indiana man attempted to fake his own death with a mid-air May Day call and phony plane problems, a stashed motorcycle with saddlebags full of cash, and an eye on hiding out in Florida.

The failed pseudocide, (fancy word for a faked death, I had to look it up), was his plan to escape from personal, financial, and legal problems, but it only landed him in more trouble.

But Schrenker has come out on the other side of his headline making get-a-way plan a survivor who’s trying to get along like anybody else.

Here’s “From May Day to Pay.”

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'To all the girls I've choked before,' signed The Happy Face Killer Oct 18, 2023

In 1996, an inmate on a work crew found the remains of a woman in the woods near the small Gulf Coast town of Holt in the Florida Panhandle. Investigators had no idea who the woman was or who raped and choked her to death, until now.
I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential, where I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister was killed by her own son on Christmas Eve 2013, and Pam has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.
In this episode, ’To all the girls I’ve choked before,’ signed The Happy Face Killer, we're discussing the macabre and brutal trail of violence left across the country by serial killer, Keith Hunter Jesperson.
The convicted murdered is currently three life sentences for some of his crimes at Oregon State Penitentiary.
Join us as we discuss how police finally identified the young woman and determined she was the sixth victim of the so-called Happy Face Killer - a murderer who made sure he got credit for his crimes by leaving the macabre signature on notes and letters.

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Murder on the Clock: It's Killing Time Oct 11, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential, where I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister was killed by her own son on Christmas Eve 2013, and Pam has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.

This episode, “Murder on the Clock: It’s Killing Time,” is in response to several Gulf Coast cases where women were killed while they were simply going to work or in one case working out.

They all knew their killers. Two victims were allegedly murdered by former lovers, and one was killed by a co-worker.

It’s bad enough when home isn’t safe, but going about your business shouldn’t cost you your life.

Here’s “Murder on the Clock: It’s Killing Time.”

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The Bad Nurse Oct 03, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential. Here I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister was killed by her own son on Christmas Eve 2013, and Pam has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.

In this episode, “The Bad Nurse,” we’re talking about the case of Charles “Charlie” Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He copped to 29 murders, but investigators believe the number could be closer to 400.

The movie, “The Good Nurse” on Netflix, is based on a true-crime book of the same name and it shows how the confessed killer moved from hospital to hospital, killing people, and the corporate healthcare system allowed him to get away with it.

Cullen might have continued killing had it not been for his fellow nurse and friend, Amy Loughren.

Here's more on how she helped stop “The Bad Nurse.”

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Ted Bundy wuz here: He fooled around and found out! Sep 26, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential. Here I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister was killed by her son in a brutal not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity and she has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.

In this episode, "Ted Bundy wuz here: He fooled around and found out!" we're talking about infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. A seasoned killer who escaped over and over again parked in the wrong town at the right time to be stopped.
We have Pensacola Police to thank for catching one of America's most notorious killers.

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Making Killer Deals Sep 19, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential. Here I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister was killed by her son in a brutal not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity and she has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.

In this episode, “Making Killer Deals” we’re talking about the failed murder-for-hire plot that put wealthy, Pensacola car dealer Ron Samuels in prison and left his ex-wife paralyzed and on a ventilator for the rest of her life.

Samuels was used to making deals that worked for him. He was willing to pay anything, including hiring cocaine addicted hit men to kill her, rather than pay what the court ordered him to give to his ex-wife and the mother of their three children.

Here’s how the final deal went down that finally sent him to prison.

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Relentless Sep 12, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential. Here I dive into the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

This episode of Gulf Coast Confidential spans the 1980’s and 1990’s and includes what you might expect from that time – cool cars, cocaine, and hired hit men. But this is not an episode of Miami Vice, it’s the true story of what happened when a rich, violent man didn’t get his way.

In 1993, the young, pretty wife of a wealthy Pensacola car dealer left her husband out of fear for her life and the lives of their three children.

She was so afraid of him she got permission from the court to move out of state, all the way back home to Minnesota where she could be with her parents and family.

Only her ex wasn’t willing to let her go or at least let go of the money the court had ordered him to pay her.

He doubled down on his determination to keep his cash and kids and make her pay for leaving him.

Even before the shot rang out, she believed it was only a matter of time before he came for her, because when it came to what he wanted, the cocaine and car dealing businessman had always been…

“Relentless”

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Trash or Treasure: The baby in the dumpster Sep 04, 2023

The Labor Day holiday is one that will always hold special memories for Gulf Coast Confidential co-host, Pam Hill.
On Labor Day, 1995, Hill and her pregnant sister were arguing about where to eat lunch outside their Pensacola townhome when Pam Hill heard a noise coming from a nearby dumpster.
They discovered a perfectly healthy baby girl, except for the garbage bags wrapped tightly around her body, which made it difficult for her to breathe.
Join us as Pam recalls the Labor Day when she helped rescue the discarded newborn in this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, "Trash or Treasure: The baby in the dumpster."

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Kid Killers, Part 2: The case of Lam Luong Aug 29, 2023

Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows and welcome to my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential. From murders to mysteries, I explore some of the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Pam’s sister, Sharon Aydelott, was murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013. As a survivor of violent crime, a grief and loneliness researcher, and pharmacist, Pam has a unique perspective on many of the cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.
This is the second of a two part series called, "Kid Killers," a title that is jarring like the crime and tragically, it's all too common.

In this episode, we discuss the case of Lam Luong, a Mobile area man who is spending the rest of his life in prison for murdering all four his children. They were only 3, 2, 1, and four months old when they died.
Killing his own kids was horrible enough, but it was also how Luong did it that sent the Gulf Coast community into shock and grief.
Join us for part two of Kid Killers, the case of Lam Luong.

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Kid Killers, Part 1: The arrest of Chad Doerman Aug 22, 2023

Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. I’ve been covering crime in Florida’s Panhandle for years and welcome to Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations. Here we dive into the deep end and discuss what we can learn from the true crime cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.
My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister, Sharon Aydelott, was murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she has a unique perspective on crimes and scandals, as a survivor of violent crime, a grief and loneliness researcher, and a pharmacist, as well.
This is the first of a two part series called, "Kid Killers," a shocking title for a dreadful crime. From Mobile, Alabama to Clermont County, Ohio, we take a closer look at the cases of two fathers who took out their unhappiness on their innocent children.
In the case of Chad Doerman, he allegedly chased his young sons down with a shotgun just before Father's Day weekend and executed them one by one. Here's Part 1 of Kid Killers.

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Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 3: The arrest of soccer coach Camilo Campos Aug 15, 2023

Hero worship is alive and well in the sports world and the coaches who call the shots can be revered as much as the players. From the Super Bowl and college playoffs to a Little League game, coaches are assumed to be trustworthy, whether or not they've actually earned that trust.
In this third and final case in the "Lambs to the Slaughter" series, we dive into the arrest of Camilo Campos. A "popular," trusted soccer coach who investigators say had a horrific secret.
His secret was safe until Campos left his cellphone behind at a restaurant and staff discovered images so appalling they called authorities. Now police are trying to identify all the boys he allegedly drugged and raped and parents are left to wonder how he got away with it for so long.
Join us for Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 3: The arrest of soccer coach Camilo Campos.

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Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 2: The arrest of Washington High School teacher Mark Lua Aug 08, 2023

Back to school is such a fun and exciting time for most of us, but for some families it's a lesson they never wanted and one they'll never forget.
Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. I’ve been covering crime in Florida’s Panhandle for years and welcome to Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations. Here we dive into the deep end and discuss what we can learn from the true crime cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.
My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister, Sharon Aydelott, was murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she has a unique perspective on crimes and scandals, as a survivor of violent crime, a grief and loneliness researcher, and a pharmacist, as well.
This is part 2 of our series on abusers in positions of authority who prey on children called, “Lambs to the Slaughter." In this episode, we're talking about the arrest of a Pensacola teacher who befriended and groomed vulnerable girls online and in the classroom, starting when they were innocent middle schoolers.
Join us for "Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 2: The arrest of Washington High School teacher Mark Lua."

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Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 1: The arrest of Ryan Walsh Aug 03, 2023

Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. I’ve been covering crime in Florida’s Panhandle for years and welcome to Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations. Here we dive into the deep end and discuss what we can learn from the true crime cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.
My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister, Sharon Aydelott, was murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she has a unique perspective on crimes and scandals, as a survivor of violent crime, a grief and loneliness researcher, and a pharmacist, as well.
This is the first of a three part series called, “Lambs to the Slaughter.” We're discussing several cases that involve abusers in positions of authority who used their power to prey on vulnerable children and sexually abuse them.
Lambs to the Slaughter: Part 1 is on the arrest and conviction of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church youth minister, Ryan Walsh. He was arrested in 2020 for sending sexually explicit texts messages to a 13-year-old girl in the church’s youth group and later touching her behind the local recreation center.
Not only did Ryan Walsh and church leadership know the girl had been abused before she and her family became members, but according to a civil lawsuit filed against them, Walsh had virtually no oversight during his time with the vulnerable young girl.
Join us for Lambs to the Slaughter, Part 1: The arrest of Ryan Walsh.

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Death to Pigs Jul 26, 2023

“Death to Pigs,” those are the words murderous followers of convicted killer Charles Manson wrote in their victim's blood at one of their infamous crime scenes.
Now one of those faithful followers, is out of prison on parole. Leslie Van Houten once faced the death penalty. Now she's learning how to use a smart phone and make a life for herself in the modern world, after more than 50 years behind bars.
In this episode of "Death to Pigs, " join my co-host Pam Hill and me for more on Van Houten's release and the shocking and horrific murders that sent her to prison in the first place.

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Bye-bye, Leticia! Jul 20, 2023

Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. I’ve been covering crime in Florida’s Panhandle for years and welcome to Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations. Here we dive into the deep end and discuss what we can learn from the true crime cases I talk about on Gulf Coast Confidential.

My co-host is Pam Hill. Her sister, Sharon Aydelott, was murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she has a unique perspective on crimes and scandals, as a survivor of violent crime, a grief and loneliness researcher, and a pharmacist, as well.
In this episode, we’re talking about Gannon Stauch, the 11-year-old boy who was killed by his stepmother in Colorado in 2020. She stuffed his small body in a suitcase then drove clear across the country to toss him over the side of a bridge in Northwest Florida where he was found.
In May 2023, Letiticia Stauch was convicted of first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder of a child by a person in a position of trust, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence.

She tried to defend herself by saying she was insane at the time she attacked him, but jurors didn't buy it and we say, "Bye-bye, Leticia!"

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"It's her, isn't it?" Jul 11, 2023

How do some sex offenders manage to escape notice? That is, until something awful happens. In this case, a child paid the price.
In this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, Pam Hill and I talk about the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old Pensacola girl by a registered sex offender. How did he go unnoticed? Because Robert Howard thumbed his nose at the justice system.
The Alabama man moved in part-time with his girlfriend across the state line in Florida, where no one was the wiser that he had just served 15 years in prison for rape.
Join us for a closer look at the heartbreaking case of Naomi Jones and how her disappearance stunned the community who came from every corner of the county to search for the girl.
Until fishermen found the little girl where Howard left her, leaving them to wonder, "It's her, isn't?"

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Powerless Jul 11, 2023

Hi, I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows and welcome to my true crime podcast, Gulf Coast Confidential. Here, I cover some of the saltier murders, mysteries, and scandals that surface along Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf Coast.

In this episode, I talk about the disappearance of 12-year-old Naomi Jones, who went missing from her Pensacola apartment in 2017. A massive search brought the community together to bring the Hello Kitty loving little girl home, but the outcome was not what they had hoped.

Sadly, police didn’t have to go far to find her body or her killer. The tragic discovery left many feeling as helpless as a child, because no matter how old you are, when faced with evil, we can all feel powerless.

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Update: Unwanted Baggage Jul 09, 2023

Welcome to my true crime podcast, Gulf Coast Confidential.
This is an update to a previous episode called, Unwanted Baggage. In Unwanted Baggage, I talk about the discovery of a boy's body in a suitcase under a Pensacola area bridge that turned out to be the remains of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch.
The boy was reported missing from his Colorado home by his stepmother, Letecia Stauch, who was charged with his murder and convicted in May of this year. In this short episode, Update: Unwanted Baggage, I run down what happened at her trial and why her insanity defense failed.

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I Don't Dig the Duggars Jul 03, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a long-time reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my true crime investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential, where I explore the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
This is a companion series called Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations where my co-host, Pam Hill, and I dive deep to discuss crimes and scandals.
In this episode, we’re digging into the documentary series about reality TV stars, the Duggar Family, called Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.
The Duggar Family was once a household name, synonymous with faith and family values. Now some family members say that behind the scenes of their popular and lucrative reality TV series, “19 and Counting,” it was a house of horrors, rampant with sex abuse, fraud, and exploitation within the family and the powerful religious organization that dominated their lives.
The series was popular with people across the country and the documentary exposes a culture where women and girls say they're abused and silenced, accusations that surface in similar crimes and organizations along the Gulf Coast and nationwide.
Join us and find out why "I Don't Dig the Duggars.”

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Nothin' to Smile About Jun 27, 2023

Going to the dentist already makes some people grit their teeth. The tools, the noise, the concern about pain, plus what can you do if something does go wrong? Patients are in a vulnerable position, lying powerless in a dental chair.
While most people are better off after seeing the doctor, that wasn’t the case for some patients and employees of a prominent and well-known Pensacola dentist. They say he abused his power and his profession to touch, terrify, and terrorize them for years, in and out of the office.
Join my co-host Pam Hill and me as we explain how he left them with "Nothin' to Smile About."

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Armed to the Teeth Jun 23, 2023

Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a longtime journalist in Northwest Florida. Welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential, where I report on some of the saltier stories that surface in the Florida Panhandle and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
In this episode, meet the gun-toting, Pensacola dentist who called himself a "Greek god," and seemed to think he was above the law after beating accusations for decades that he repeatedly sexually harassed employees and patients.
Now Dr. Charles Stamitoles is behind bars and has lost license to practice dentistry. For victims who say he abused, terrified and terrorized them for years, it's a relief. For the doctor who turned up everywhere from surveillance video to multiple police reports it's a hard pill to swallow. Find out how investigators caught up with him in, Armed to the Teeth.

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Witness to a Florida Execution Jun 20, 2023

Death is a life-changing experience.
Hi, I’m Mollye Barrows, a long-time reporter in Florida’s Panhandle and welcome to my investigative series, Gulf Coast Confidential, where I explore the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
This is a companion series called Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations where my co-host, Pam Hill, and I break down some of the crimes and scandals I cover on GCC.
In this grisly episode, "Witness to a Florida Execution," we’re talking about the death penalty and just how close Pam and I have both come to it, as witnesses to a controversial part of the American justice system.
Judy Buenoano, Florida's so-called "Black Widow" serial killer was executed for her crimes in the Sunshine State and she wrote Pam Hill from death row. The two knew each other because Judy had once set her sights on Pam's father.
On May 3, 2023, I watched the execution of convicted murdered Darryl Barwick, a man who sat on Florida's death row for more than thirty years for killing a pretty young woman he saw sunbathing beside the pool at a Panama City area apartment complex.
While this was the first time I witnessed a man's execution in person, I had been to death row years earlier, in Angola, Louisiana, as part of a college assignment and met the anti-death penalty advocate and nun, Helen Prejean, who inspired the movie Dead Man Walking.
Join Pam and I as we talk about these eye-opening yet tragic experiences, and what it was like to come so close to those marked to die.

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Persons of Interest

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Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations: The Black Widow Jun 13, 2023

Welcome to my true crime series, Gulf Coast Confidential. From murders to mysteries, I explore some of the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations is a companion series I've started with co-host Pam Hill to discuss the crimes I cover. Pam's sister, Sharon Aydelott was brutally murdered by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she is passionate about helping others learn from her tragedy. In this episode, we talk about the case that inspired my story, “I’ll Do the Cooking,” about Pensacola’s most famous serial killer, the Black Widow, Judy Buenoano.
We were both interviewed for an ID Channel documentary about the case that aired on the series "Very Scary People." Pam's dad had a relationship with Judy and their families often spent time together. The convicted killer even wrote Pam from death row. Here's more on The Black Widow.

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Cartoon Panties and a Plane Ticket Jun 07, 2023

Welcome to my true crime series, Gulf Coast Confidential where, from murders to mysteries, I explore some of the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations is a companion series I've started with co-host Pam Hill to discuss the crimes I cover. Pam's sister, Sharon Aydelott was brutally killed by her son on Christmas Eve 2013, and she is passionate about helping others learn from her tragedy. In this episode, we talk about the case that
inspired my story, Done it Plenty. It's the story of a federal prosecutor who police say flew across the country carrying toys, gifts, and lubricant for a 5-year-old girl who he had arranged to have sex with. The case was shocking and as Pam and I discuss, so was community reaction.
Here's Cartoon Panties and a Plane Ticket.

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Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations: Mommy Killer Part 2 May 30, 2023

Welcome to my true crime series, Gulf Coast Confidential. From murders to mysteries, I explore some of the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations is a companion series, I started with my co-host Pam Hill to discuss the crimes I cover. Pam's sister, Sharon Aydelott was brutally killed by her son on Christmas Eve 2013. An act so henious, it ripped their family apart and continues to haunt them to this day. This is the second of two episodes where we to talk about her nephew's case and why she will never give up fighting for justice for her sister.

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies - The Beltway Briefing
Listen for of-the-moment insider insights, framed by the rapidly changing social and...
Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

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Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations: Mommy Killer Part 1 May 30, 2023

Welcome to my true crime series, Gulf Coast Confidential. From murders to mysteries, I explore some of the saltier stories that surface in Northwest Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf Coast Confidential Conversations is a companion series I've started with co-host Pam Hill to discuss the crimes I cover. Pam's sister, Sharon Aydelott was brutally killed by her son on Christmas Eve 2013. An act so henious it ripped their family apart and continues to haunt them to this day. This is the first of two episodes where we to talk about her nephew's case and why she will never give up fighting for justice for her sister.

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Coming up on the next season of Gulf Coast Confidential... Dec 21, 2022

Hi, I'm investigative journalist Mollye Barrows and here's a preview of what's coming up for the next season of Gulf Coast Confidential. I'm excited about the response the podcast has received and I'm taking a short break to prepare for Season 2. I'll be back in Spring 2023, with another round of salty, headline making murders, mysteries, and scandals - the kind that only wash up on Florida's shores and all along the Gulf Coast. Stay tuned!

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The Devil Next Door Dec 14, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, I remember a horrific crime that happened on Florida’s East Coast, where I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. A pregnant mom and her 5 and 9-year-old girls were shot and beaten to death in their own home. The victims were my playmates and the execution of the man who killed them changed the state’s capital punishment law. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Unwanted Baggage Dec 07, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, most of us have heard of a “wicked stepmother;" a cruel, ruthless woman depicted in bedtime stories like Cinderella or Snow White. In some cases, though, these aren’t just fairytales. Investigators believe 11-year-old Gannon Stauch, had a stepmother who killed him, stuffed his body in a suitcase, then drove clear across the country to hide him, where her secret surfaced. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Done It Plenty Nov 30, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential - Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Atchison was admired in his community as a father, husband, and youth sports coach. No one knew he had the kind of secret that would just kill him if people found out and eventually, they did when the FBI stopped him at the airport carrying lubricant and a Dora the Explorer doll he planned to give to a 5-year-old girl the feds said he arranged to have sex with. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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The Cost of Killing Nov 23, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential, Cynthia Harrison was a young, petite, woman who had already overcome a lot in life including physical disabilities. In 1998, she was newly married, new to town, and starting a new job as a manager at a Pensacola fast -food restaurant. She was living her dream life until her co-worker stabbed her to death and left her small body in the freezer. She had been stabbed so many times the coroner quit counting. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Murder and Madness Nov 16, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential we take a closer look at murder and madness. Four Florida defendants - all accused of killing family, all said they were insane at the time. But some victims’ relatives say what’s really crazy is that they are all but getting away with murder. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Confessions in the Fieldhouse Nov 09, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential –a former high school coach was busted for secretly sexting a 14-year-old girl in his science class, but when the “come on” was discovered, the teacher’s principal and fellow coaches huddled around him and left the victim on the sidelines. The coach’s wife wanted to stop him and protect their own children, but she died trying. Join me on your streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Drowning in Remorse Nov 02, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential - the lives of four, little children had barely begun when they were cut short by their own father. He threw them off a bridge more than eight stories high near Mobile, Alabama, because he was mad at their mom. It’s the kind of crime people thought he would die for, but the court refused to execute him. Join me on your favorite streaming platform for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Bury the Past Oct 26, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On the this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential - moving on from murder isn’t easy. Just ask Derek and Alex King who were 11 and 12-years-old when they were arrested for beating their father to death in 2001. I covered the case from the time Terry King was killed to when his sons were released from prison. So, what has life been like for the King Brothers since they got out? Join me for an update on my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential, on your favorite streaming platform and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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I'll Do the Cooking! Oct 18, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential - Serial killers. They can live right next door to you. And Pensacola, Florida’s most notorious murderer and I lived in the same neighborhood, although not at the same time. After researching the so-called “Black Widow,” Judy Buenoano, I’ve decided that if I hang out with a new friend from now on, “I’ll Do the Cooking.” Join me for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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Sink or Swim Oct 06, 2022

I’m investigative journalist Mollye Barrows. On this episode of Gulf Coast Confidential – a 12-year-old boy drowned at a party thrown by a politically connected preacher on a yacht that was lent to him by a prominent personal injury attorney as a favor. No one tried to rescue the boy and the party went on. The tragedy happened years ago, but the whole story has only just surfaced. Join me for my podcast Gulf Coast Confidential and let’s dive into the saltier side of the South.

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