Behind The Crime Scene

Suzanne Morphew, the wife and mother of two from Chaffee County, Colorado went missing on Mother’s Day in 2020.  On May 5, 2021, her husband,  52 year old Barry Morphew, was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder.  Here are the facts of the case.

Maxwell. Ghislaine Maxwell. Socialite?  Girlfriend to Jeffrey Epstein? Child Sexual Predator?  In this monthly series, Retired FBI Special Agent Gina L. Osborn will go Behind the Crime Scene to update you on all things Ghislaine.  Welcome to the Maxwell Chronicles.  

It's July 20, 2012. During the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Eagan Holmes set off tear gas and shot into the audience. It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since Columbine. In Part 3 of this three part series, we speak with former Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates and Denver Division FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Yacone to talk about the lessons learned for use by law enforcement in future active shooter attacks.

It's July 20, 2012. During the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Eagan Holmes set off tear gas and shot into the audience. It was the deadliest shooting in U.S. History. In this three part series, we are joined by former Aurora Police Chief Daniel J. Oates and Denver Division FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Yacone to talk about Heroes, Horror and Hope.

It's July 20, 2012. During the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Eagan Holmes set off tear gas and shot into the audience. It was the deadliest shooting in U.S. History. In this four part series, we are joined by former Aurora Police Chief Daniel J. Oates and Denver Division FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Yacone to talk about Heroes, Horror and Hope.

Kevin Lamar James. You may have never heard of him, but back in 2005, he had a diabolical scheme to wage war against the United States - all from the comfort of his cell at Folsom Prison. James radicalized and recruited other inmates to participate in what the FBI called at the time - the most operationally advanced terrorism plot since 9/11.

Watch the news on any given day: the shootings, assaults, and reports of senseless violence targeting unsuspecting and unprepared victims lead the headlines. Do your children know what to do in the face of unexpected danger? Do they have the means to protect themselves? Communication, Intuition, Past Experiences, Confidence and Knowledge. Join Gina L. Osborn and Carol Mona and go Behind the Crime Scene to learn the five pillars of personal safety to keep your teens safe.

The HBO documentary miniseries McMillions looks into the con that allowed one man to rig the results of the McDonalds Monopoly game for decades. The FBI sifted through the complex web of lies and got down to the bottom of the gaming scheme using sophisticated techniques to include a creative undercover. Like every good story, it's got mind blowing twists and turns. Join Gina L Osborn as she goes Behind the Crime Scene with Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Chris Graham who stars on the show.

According to the FBI, some 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs are criminally active in the U.S. today. Many are sophisticated and well organized; all use violence to control neighborhoods and boost their illegal money-making activities, which include robbery, drug and gun trafficking, prostitution and human trafficking, and fraud. Many gang members continue to commit crimes even after being sent to jail. On the front lines, law enforcement battles everyday to keep communities safe. This is their story. 

It's April 30, 2007. Chester Turner is convicted of killing ten women to include the unborn child of one of his victims.  The murders took place within a four block radius in the city of Los Angeles between 1987 and 1998. In 2014, Turner was convicted of murdering four other women receiving the death penalty for the second time. Join us Behind the Crime Scene as we talk to  Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman and Senior Forensic Scientist Jody Hynds about their experience bringing Turner to justice.

Hackers. Scammers. Sextorters. Predators. The Internet and your email box are a jungle filled with danger. How do you know what is legit and what can wind up costing you your reputation, fortune or even your life? Gina and Tracy go Behind the Crime Scene with Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Author Scott Augenbaum so you can learn how to be safe online.

It's January 2, 1982.  Joan Stewart is raped, strangled, stabbed several times and murdered in the woodlands near Montclair, California. It was the work of the EAST BAY SLAYER. Charles Jackson started his lifetime career of crime when he was arrested and charged with theft at 16. Over the next 28 years, he’s repeatedly incarcerated for committing burglary, rape, assault and molesting minors. After Jackson died in prison in 2002,  authorities learned he slayed more than eight people…. because of the tenacity of Deputy District Attorney Rockne Harmon's pursuit of DNA profiling.

It's January 15, 1974. Four members of the Otero family from Wichita, Kansas become the first known victims of Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK Strangler. Rader went on to kill a total of ten people, strangling, hanging or shooting his victims over a 17 year period.  He taunted the police by sending letters to them and the media detailing his killings. He enclosed personal items belonging to the victims. Rader as the BTK Strangler hid in plain sight from his family and community, eluding police while serving as the president of his church council and as a Cub Scout leader.

It's April 15, 2013. Families, friends and bystanders are crowded on the sidewalks as athletes are nearing the finish line at the 117th annual Boston Marathon. What they don't know is that Dzhokhar and Temerlan TSARNAEV, two brothers originating from Chechnya, are standing at a distance waiting for their homemade pressure cooker bombs to go off and rip through the masses. At 2:49 pm, they did just that, killing three people and injuring hundreds. During an unprecedented manhunt, the brothers kill an MIT Police Officer, kidnap and carjack a man and get into an intense shootout with police where hundreds of rounds are fired.

It's December of 1990. The United States is defending our interests in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. An espionage investigation is opened against Specialist 4 Albert T. Sombolay, a soldier stationed in Baumholder, Germany. Sombolay sold national defense information to the Jordanians and attempted to contact Iraqi government officials to volunteer as a spy on multiple occasions. During the sting, Sombolay told the UCO, whom he readily accepted as a Jordanian intelligence officer, that what he was doing was a “dangerous thing, very dangerous.” Sombolay continued that if “they catch me, I’m good for that day. It’s treason. It’s treason. They trusted me.” Sombolay pled guilty to aiding the enemy along with the two counts of espionage and two attempted acts of espionage.  

Now more than ever, bridging the gap between law enforcement and their communities is a priority. In this special bonus episode, Gina and Tracy speak with Lieutenant Robbie Williams about his experience of growing up in the projects and distrusting law enforcement to becoming a subject matter expert in community policing. 

It’s July 15, 2002. Five year-old Samantha Runnion is playing with a friend in her front yard in Stanton, California.  A man approached and asked the girls to help find his lost dog. He then grabbed Samantha and forced her into his car. A day later, Samantha’s lifeless body was found by hang gliders in the Cleveland National Forest. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled and staged. The Sheriff promised the perpetrator on national television, “you can’t run, you can’t hide, we’re going to find you.” They did just that. Join us Behind the Crime Scene with Samantha's mother, Erin Runnion, to hear about how she turned tragedy into helping others through her Joyful Child Foundation.

It’s July 15, 2002. Five year-old Samantha Runnion is playing with a friend in her front yard in Stanton, California.  A man approached and asked the girls to help find his lost dog. He then grabbed Samantha and forced her into his car. A day later, Samantha’s lifeless body was found by hang gliders in the Cleveland National Forest. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled and staged. The Sheriff promised the perpetrator on national television, “you can’t run, you can’t hide, we’re going to find you.” They did just that. Join us Behind the Crime Scene with Samantha's mother, Erin Runnion, and former Orange County District Attorney David Brent to learn about how they brought a child predator to justice in this three part series.

It’s July 15, 2002. Five year-old Samantha Runnion is playing with a friend in her front yard in Stanton, California.  A man approached and asked the girls to help find his lost dog. He then grabbed Samantha and forced her into his car. A day later, Samantha’s lifeless body was found by hang gliders in the Cleveland National Forest. She had been sexually assaulted, strangled and staged. The Sheriff promised the perpetrator on national television, “you can’t run, you can’t hide, we’re going to find you.” They did just that. Join us Behind the Crime Scene with former Orange County District Attorney David Brent to learn about how he brought a child predator to justice in this three part series.

What happens when Cyber Bullying turns deadly?   It's the summer of 2006.  Lori Drew, the 49 year-old mother of teenager Sarah Drew, reportedly became concerned that their 13 year-old neighbor, Megan Meier, was spreading false statements about her daughter. Lori Drew and her employee, Ashley Grills, created a fake MySpace account for the persona for a 16 year-old boy using the name "Josh Evans." They used the fake profile to befriend and communicate with Meier in a flirtatious manner. In a cyber hoax turned deadly, Lori Drew is indicted on federal charges and lives are changed forever. Let's go Behind the Crime Scene with former Cyber Section Chief and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Zweiback to find out what happened in this tragic case.  

If Gina and Tracy were to go Behind the Crime Scene to describe Sheriff Sandra Hutchins, they'd call her a trailblazer. With 40 years of law enforcement experience, being involved in a deadly shooting and many other mind-blowing critical incidents, they'd also call her calm, cool and collected, a great leader and a tremendous role model to them both.     In this truly inspiring Bonus Episode, Sheriff Hutchins talks about her shooting, leadership, being a woman in a male dominated field and how not to take things personally.

It's December 2, 2015. Twenty-eight year old Syed Farook and his wife, 29 year old Tashfeen Malik drop off their six month old daughter off with grandma while they carried out one of the deadliest mass shootings in America. Let's go Behind the Crime Scene with former Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Decker to hear how she responded to this horrific attack.

It's June 12, 1994. Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, are stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson, former NFL player, broadcaster and actor was arrested. The trial was one of the most widely publicized events in American history. Let's go Behind the Crime Scene with Lead Prosecutor Bill Hodgman on the trial and hear about what still haunts him 26 years later.

It's July 13, 1996.  Twenty-five year old California Highway Patrol Officer Don Burt makes a routine traffic stop in Fullerton, California.  Vietnamese gangster Hung Mai pulls over.  Officer Burt finds counterfeit traveler checks in the car.  Mai shoots Officer Burt seven times.  Let's go Behind the Crime Scene to hear how Marc Greenberg handled this dangerous case.

This happened in Midland City, Alabama.  It turned out to be one of the most difficult and dangerous hostage cases ever handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was January 29, 2013.  Jimmy Lee Dykes waved down a school bus that was dropping off kids after school.  The bus driver, 66 year old Charles Poland, Jr,, who knew Dykes, stopped the bus. Dykes boarded with an outrageous request.  He wanted to take two boys’ hostage.  Dykes had a gun, but the driver blocked the bus aisle to protect the kids on the bus.  Dykes shot and killed the driver before kidnapping a five-year-old boy with special needs. His name was Ethan, and he sat in the seat closest to the door. Dykes was a Vietnam War Veteran.  He had lost touch with an ex-wife and two daughters.  His older girl recalled his fondness of firearms and a hatred for authorities.  Mr. Dykes had worked as a land surveyor and a truck driver. He had been fired from his last job after having a dispute with his boss.  A neighbor referred to him as “a time bomb waiting to go off.”” Dykes carried Ethan to a six-foot by eight-foot underground bunker that was located on his property.  The bunker was rigged with explosives and had only a narrow pipe for ventilation.  Dykes called 911 and told the police he had taken a hostage.  His ultimate goal? To swap Ethan for a female TV reporter who would join him in the bunker and broadcast his manifesto as he spoke.  Once he delivered the message, he would put a plastic bag over his head and fill it with helium. The woman would hold his hand while he suffocated. Dykes told the police to use the ventilation pipe to relay communications with him.  Early on, they learned the pipe had been rigged with explosives and convinced Dykes to accept a throw phone. Hostage negotiators believed Dykes had explosives inside the bunker and tried to keep tensions low as they attempted to negotiate Ethan’s release.  In the meantime, they convinced Dykes to allow them to deliver Ethan’s daily medicine, coloring books, food and toys that they would leave outside the bunker.  After they moved away, Dykes would open the trap door and cautiously accept the supplies. Over six days, Dykes became increasingly agitated and authorities believed he was going to kill Ethan. Law enforcement officials were faced with a serious, if not deadly decision.  Let's go Behind the Crime Scene to find out how Michael Osborn, retired FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, responded to this harrowing event.