True Crime Reporter

Latest Episodes:

Blood Pacts and Breaking Bad: The Rise and Fall of the Devil Lovers Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

In the shadow of Texas' heartland, a clandestine cult flourished under the guise of dark rituals and methamphetamine production. Known as the Devil Lovers, this group of middle-aged men and women from prominent Waco families engaged in sinister ceremonies, pledging allegiance to their enigmatic leader, David Russell Zell. Their twisted journey from occult gatherings to running the state's largest illicit meth lab in the late 1980s unfolded a tale stranger than fiction. Join investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston as they delve into the spine-chilling case of meth, murder, and malevolence that shocked a community and exposed the terrifying underbelly of human nature.

True Crime Meets Fiction: Exploring Serial Killer Psychology with David Bethel Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs dives into the mind of a serial killer with author John David Bethel as we explore his latest novel “Mapping The Night.” Bethel's books stand out for their profound basis in real-life cases. His fiction and nonfiction offer a unique lens through which to explore the darkest corners of the human mind.

A Case Of Pure Evil Haunts Dallas FBI Agent Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Genaro “Geno” Ruiz Camacho's drug empire thrived on violence. In the late 1980s in Dallas, he ruled with an iron fist and displayed an almost unimaginable cruelty towards those who crossed his path. This story is about violence, revenge, and an unrelenting pursuit of justice led by FBI Special Agent Tase Bailey. I uncover how Camacho's brutality shaped one of the most notorious federal investigations in Texas history and how it haunted the investigators for years to come.

Better Be On Your Best Behavior When Police Wear Body Cameras May 28, 2024

Show notes

If Minneapolis police officers had been wearing body cameras, would it have prevented the excessive force that led to the murder of 46-year-old George Floyd? Dr. Jennifer Matthews says Body-Worn Cameras are reshaping Police-Citizen Interactions, and she believes that it could have made a life-saving difference. Matthews has implemented, managed, and trained more than 3,000 Chicago area law enforcement officers in Body-Worn Camera programs. Matthews shares insights from her PhD dissertation for Walden University on Body-Worn Camera Use and Citizen Behavior During Police- Citizen Encounters.

Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Black Widow Part 3 May 21, 2024

Show notes

Sandra Bridewell has fallen from grace in Dallas Society. Shunned by neighbors and most friends in the posh Highland Park community that is home to oil and real estate barons. In Parts 1 & 2 Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Black Widow we reveal Bridewell's connection to three mysterious shooting deaths and the stories about them label Sandra, The Black Widow. She flees to the West Coast to escape her scandalous reputation. True Crime author John Leake unveils in his book The Meaning of Malice: On The Trail Of The Black Widow of Highland Park how Sandra Bridewell tries to reinvent herself eventually as a missionary.

Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Texas Black Widow Part 2 May 16, 2024

Show notes

Dallas Socialite Sandra Bridewell cultivated an image of elegance and vulnerability. In part one of our series, Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Black Widow, Sandra Bridewell’s first husband’s life tragically ends with his alleged suicide. Was the promising young dentist driven to shoot himself in a fit of depression over the crushing burden of mounting debt from Sandra’s lavish lifestyle? Or was there a sinister motive for murder? True crime author, John Leake continues the story from his book The Meaning Of Malice: On The Trail Of The Black Widow Of Highland Park. Within a year of her husband’s death, Bridewell hunts for a new suitor. A whirlwind romance and marriage to her second husband catapults her to the top of Dallas society—but not for long.

Beneath the Charm: Unveiling The Texas Black Widow Part 1 May 14, 2024

Show notes

Amidst the sprawling cityscape of Dallas, where power and prosperity intersect with secrets and lies, Sandra Bridewell's story unravels. Bridewell was a beautiful, alluring socialite in the affluent enclave of Highland Park when Dallas was the world’s most popular TV show and the Dallas Cowboys were America’s team. It is a tale woven with deception, sex, and the dark underbelly of high society in a close-knit community known as the Beverly Hills of the Southwest – Highland Park. Known infamously as "The Black Widow," Sandra's life story reads like a script from a classic thriller, her charm, and beauty masking a sinister reality of purported suicides, murders, beatings, romance scams, religious cons, and identity theft. True Crime author John Leake peels back the layers of Sandra Bridewell's enigmatic persona in The Meaning of Malice: On The Trail Of The Black Widow Of Highland Park.

The Secret Service Files: Cracking New York’s Counterfeit Underworld Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

In the shadowy underworld of early 20th-century New York City, a nefarious counterfeiting operation run by cunning Sicilian criminals thrived—until William Flynn and the U.S. Secret Service set their sights on bringing the ring to justice. At the heart of the story is the classic clash between good and evil, law and lawlessness. But in William Flynn, we have the archetypal determined detective hero - relentless, clever, and utterly committed to justice. This is a follow-up to our last episode about Flynn, known as the Bulldog Detective. I have curated the work of some of the best true crime writers from the early 20th Century. Please let me know if you like to hear me read these stories. PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE VINTAGE TRUE CRIME STORIES

The Bulldog Detective: The Untold Story of America’s First Top Cop Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Through the mist of forgotten histories, the figure of William J. Flynn beckons, offering a glimpse into a life that, though eclipsed by time, remains a testament to human endeavor and spirit. In the early 20th century, Flynn, known as the “Bulldog Detective,” was one of the most famous detectives in America. As head of the U.S. Secret Service and later the Bureau of Investigation (forerunner of the FBI), Flynn led the chase for counterfeiters, took on the first Mafia crime family, pursued German spies during World War I, and launched America's first "war on terrorism" against anarchist bombers who blew up Wall Street. Yet today, Flynn is largely forgotten, overshadowed by his more controversial successor, J. Edgar Hoover. A new book aims to change that and restore Flynn to his rightful place in history. In "The Bulldog Detective," terrorism expert Jeffrey D. Simon provides the first full biography of this remarkable yet unsung American lawman.

Searching For Patty Hearst: Militant Marxist or Brain Washed? Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

The mystery of Patty Hearst's transformation from a college student born into privilege to a Marxist militant wielding an M-1 carbine in a bank robbery remains as compelling as ever on the 50th anniversary of her kidnapping. The abduction of William Randolph Heart’s granddaughter captured America’s attention in 1974. The saga of 19-year-old Patty Hearst pushed the impeachment of President Richard Nixon off newspaper headlines. Searching for Patty Hearst by journalist Roger Rapoport delves into the heart of a story that blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator, between heiress and revolutionary. Was she a willing convert to the cause of the Symbionese Liberation Army or a young woman broken and brainwashed by her captors? You decide. Link to Roger Rapoport's Website: Searching for Patty Hearst PLEASE TAKE MY AUDIENCE SURVEY

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected