Podcast appearances and mentions of Bill Johnston

Celebrate the amazing work of small and independent publishers this March with us. Pick up a book by a small press from your library. Our suggestions include: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (published by Graywolf Press), Great Fear on the Mountain by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, translated by Bill Johnston (published by Archipelago Books), Don't Answer When They Call Your Name by Ukamaka Olisakwe (published by Groits Lounge), and Counsel Culture by Kim Hye-jin, translated by Jamie Chang (published by Restless Books).

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. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

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. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

In this episode of the Cohere Podcast, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk with community expert Betty Ray about the profound impact of rituals on personal and community well-being. Betty shares her extensive experience and research on the role of rituals in fostering belonging, purpose, and navigating transitions. The conversation delves into practical applications of ritual in both online and offline communities, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to create meaningful and supportive community spaces. Summary and Key Topics: 00:00:00 - Introduction Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas introduce the episode and guest, Betty Ray, highlighting her extensive background in community leadership and her recent focus on the positive role of ritual. 00:02:00 - Understanding Ritual Betty explains the concept of ritual, its historical context, and its benefits, emphasizing its role in fostering belonging, purpose, and helping individuals navigate transitions. 00:06:23 - Betty's Career and Community Rituals Betty shares her career journey, detailing her experiences with community rituals at organizations like Live365, Edutopia, and Minnesota Public Radio, and discussing the importance of creating rituals in community settings. 00:11:17 - Mechanics of Ritual Betty outlines the specific structures that differentiate rituals from routines and habits, and provides examples of how rituals can be designed and implemented in daily life and community contexts. 00:19:31 - Current Work and Projects Betty talks about her current initiatives, including the Center for Ritual Design and Pandora's Way, focusing on creating meaningful rites of passage for young people and supporting families through technological transitions. 00:24:00 - Addressing Challenges in Rituals Discussion on potential negative aspects of rituals and how they can be misused, emphasizing the importance of intention and positive, pro-social purposes. 00:27:00 - Evolution and Flexibility of Rituals Betty and the hosts discuss how rituals can evolve and adapt to different cultural and personal contexts, and the importance of keeping rituals meaningful and relevant. 00:29:40 - The Future of Rituals and Closing Thoughts Betty shares what excites her most about the future of rituals and her projects, expressing hope for the positive impact they can have on communities and individuals.   About our guest(s):  Betty's Website:  Pandora's Way: Betty's Soundcloud:  

 In the Cohere podcast episode, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas, along with guests Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith, delve into the shift from traditional forecasting to the dynamic practice of futuring, as explored in their works How to Future and Future Cultures. They discuss the importance of evolving strategic frameworks to foster anticipation and adaptability, particularly in navigating complex crises. The conversation highlights the role of online communities in driving innovation and building future resilience. Through insights and case studies like the UNDP Future Trends and Signals System, they advocate for viewing "future" as an active process and emphasize the critical role of communal networks in shaping responsive and anticipatory cultures. "It's incredibly important for futures to be opened up to a wider group of people because you can't have better futures just for one." Susan Cox-Smith Mentioned in this episode: Links to relevant materials mentioned during the episode About our guest(s):  Website:   Books:   Future Cultures:   Author Bios and Contact Information:       Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and Subscribe to the Cohere Podcast For more reflections about the intersection of community and design, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave a review of the Cohere Podcast Have you listened to the Cohere Podcast? We would love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review and let us know what you think about the show. Your feedback helps us improve and make the podcast even better. ADD EMAIL Share your thoughts about future guests / topics of exploration: ADD EMAIL Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast  

In the latest thought-provoking episode of Cohere, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome two distinguished and returning guests. First up, we have Dr. Sharon Varney, a dynamic force in the realm of leadership and organizational development. With a rich background spanning complex organizations across manufacturing, utilities, travel, banking, oil and gas, Sharon's encounter with complexity theory in the early 2000s sparked a profound shift in her approach to leadership and change practice. Her academic journey, combined with her hands-on experience, has led to groundbreaking work in leadership and organizational development across various sectors. Sharon is also closely associated with Henley Business School, where she continues to advance the intersection of academia and practical application. Her book, ‘Leadership in Complexity and Change,' draws from her award-winning doctoral research and offers a hopeful, practical guide backed by a robust academic foundation. Joining Sharon, we have John Hovell, a visionary leader at the intersection of Knowledge Management (KM) and Organization Development (OD). As the Managing Director and co-founder of STRATactical, John is renowned for his innovative approaches to combining OD and KM strategies to address contemporary challenges. His work on creating conversational leadership through the synergy of Knowledge Management, Organization Development, and Diversity & Inclusion offers fresh insights into how organizations can foster more dynamic and inclusive environments. Today, we're eager to explore the nuances of Organization Development, or OD, and discuss how OD principles can shape community dynamics in a meaningful way. With Sharon's expertise in navigating the complexities of leadership in changing environments and John's forward-thinking strategies on knowledge management and organizational development, today's episode promises to be a rich tapestry of ideas and insights. So, stay tuned as we dive deep into these fascinating topics, offering you perspectives that are as enlightening as they are practical.

In case you missed the big news, Run Charlotte and Recover Brands are teaming-up starting this year provide runners with event tees, official merchandise, and more – with less of an environmental impact.   Runners will see this partnership come to life with the first of our Run Charlotte events – the Novant Health Lucky Day … Continue reading "Bill Johnston, Recover Brands"

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Dave Gray, Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible. They delve into being a "possibilitarian," exploring how this mindset fosters innovation and openness to new ideas. Dave shares the  School of the Possible founding story, an experimental learning community that challenges conventional education models. The discussion covers how critical thinking and creativity are encouraged and the practical application of knowledge to solve real-world problems. Listeners will discover how embracing possibility can transform learning and personal growth. "Art school is very different than a lot of other types of education. It's focused on making and creating and doing things with your hands and making things happen in the real world. So, in one sense, there was a whole approach to learning that I picked up in art school. And also, when you graduate from art school, it's not like there's a lot of people waiting with jobs for you. You have to apply those creative thinking skills to designing your life, thinking about What is it that you want to create in the world? How are you going to make your way in the world? And it's really interesting to watch all of my peers and colleagues, all trained in creativity, all figuring it out in different ways. It all stems from this idea of "what are you going to create and what are you going to make?" In a lot of types of education, you can just solve the problem in a way that everyone before you solved the problem.  When you're in an art school, you're not allowed to solve problems in the way they've been solved before. You're required to think about a different way or a new way."  Mentioned in this episode: Links to relevant materials mentioned during the episode   About our guest(s):  Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible Author, and LinkedIn:   Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and Subscribe to the Cohere Podcast For more reflections about the intersection of community and design, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave a review of the Cohere Podcast  

In the last episode of 2023 for the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Reneé Barton, Manager of Impact Research at the Crypto Council for Innovation. They delve into the CRADL report, the crypto industry's first in-depth ethnographic study, which illuminates the varied motivations behind crypto adoption and highlights opportunities for industry refinement. Barton elaborates on the meticulous research methodology that captures diverse user experiences, revealing overlooked use cases and challenging assumptions about crypto's role in equitable wealth distribution. The conversation also touches on the hurdles of user experience in crypto adoption, potential risks, and the practical application of the research for stakeholders. The episode concludes with insights on future explorations and where to access CRADL's pioneering work. Mentioned in this episode:    About our guest(s):  Renée Barton is passionate about connecting research and analysis to the design and implementation of policies, programs, and places that equitably leverage, distribute, and create access for all to the benefits of technology. She looks beyond data and econometric analysis to understand how people and communities engage with the policies, products, and places that shape their lives.    As the Manager of Impact Research at the (CCI), Renée leads research to provide evidence-based insights on the real-world value of crypto on the lives of people and their communities. By sharing insights, expertise, and facts about the global crypto ecosystem, CCI supports governments and institutions worldwide in efforts to shape inclusive policy and regulation that fosters innovation and grows access for all to a new ecosystem of tools and services. As a researcher and project lead at the , funded by the , Renée led primary ethnographic research to help organizations and policymakers understand why people are turning to crypto.   In her prior capacity as a consultant she has advised a range of public and private entities including governments, universities, philanthropic organizations, major tech companies, startups, and minority-serving venture funds, on topics including economic development, the structuring of policies and programs, and implementation strategy at the intersection of technology, communities, and inclusive growth.   Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and For more reflections about the intersection of community and exponential technologies, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Share about future guests / topics of exploration. Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast.

If you haven't met the Fort Wayne Police Department's therapy dog yet, his name is Tinsley. Tinsley is the newest addition to the Fort Wayne Police Department's Officer Wellness and Community Relations Programs and he has been a part of the force for about a year now. The therapy dog program has taken three years for the FWPD to complete, but having the right dog, from the right program, that would fit the FWPD's effort to put community first, took a lot of time and effort. In the end, the Paws and Stripes College program out of Brevard County, Florida was the right fit. Over the last year Officer Lisa Woods and dog trainer Bill Johnston have been getting Tinsely ready to report for duty.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss Griffin Coal; Bill Johnston; West Port; Perth house prices and North West publication.

 In this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Rob Hopkins, Ph.D., co-founder of Transition Network and author, on the power of community imagination in shaping our future. Dubbed a "guest from the future," Rob shares his insights on creating spaces for collective dreaming and the journey towards a healthier relationship with the internet. They discuss the ingredients for successful community initiatives, the role of imagination activists, and overcoming barriers to our creative potential. With storytelling as a pivotal theme, Rob also touches on the concept of 'embodied futuring.' The conversation concludes with a teaser into the intriguing research for his upcoming book.  

Julie and Chris are both back in studio for the first EVER collaboration podcast with "Be the Impact" Podcast. Before they get to their guest, they start the show talking about Julie's triumphant Half Marathon effort at the DC Half. You be the judge if she feels good about it or not. Chris and Julie agree that the race was an amazing experience and a great day for runners in DC. The guest this week is Bill Johnston, the Co-Founder and President of Recover Brands. Recover Brands is a unique apparel brand from North Carolina that manufactures apparel out of 100% recycled materials. Recover is also a partner in this years Marine Corps Marathon. Julie, Chris, and Bill talk about Recover Brands humble beginnings in 2010 to now in 2023 where they are sponsoring and building apparel for one of the country's largest marathons. Bill explains the process of making the apparel and shares his mission driven approach to business. The podcast ends with a random Zodiac signs reference and Julie and Chris teasing their next show.

Bill Johnston of Recover Brands and Andy Bell of Boxercraft talk about sustainability and how to meet ESG goals.

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas sit down with Silicon Valley veteran Jeremiah Owyang to discuss the evolution of digital technology and the rise of AI. Owyang traces his career back to community leadership roles in tech, emphasizing the importance of transferable skills acquired over decades-long technology cycles. He attributes his pivot to AI as a natural progression in tech, noting that we are amid a surge of interest in AI technologies. Owyang shares how he stays updated in the field, cultivates space for him and others to explore exponential technologies through gatherings like Lllama Lounge and discusses how businesses can leverage AI to improve communities and engagement. The conversation also touches on Owyang's recent collaboration on sensemaking tools, specifically an AI classification framework that ties into the theory of multiple intelligences. He addresses businesses' fundamental misconceptions about AI, which hinder its adoption and closes with advice for business leaders keen to transition from basic AI experiments to meaningful strategies. In this episode, we discuss the following:  [02:04] Introducing Jeremiah Owyang and tracing his career journey [03:37] Discussing the 10-year cycles of technology [09:01] Showcasing the power of gatherings like the Llama Lounge [14:20] Exploring the recent explosion of interest in AI [21:16] Considering how to make sense of AI [25:12] Examining the intersection of community and AI [37:18] Sharing advice for leaders who are ready to move beyond the “LLM 101” experiments   Mentioned in this episode:  Twitter / X:   LinkedIn:   Jeremiah's Tech + Business Newsletter  

In this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Dale Dougherty, the founder of Make: Magazine and Maker Faire, and a person who played a key and critical role in the launch of the Maker Movement. Dougherty shares his career journey and his belief that everyone is inherently a maker. The conversation takes a deep dive into the history and future of the Maker Movement, discussing the importance of community in both digital and real-life maker experiences. Dougherty also outlines plans for the return of the Bay Area Maker Faire, revealing a new location and expanded schedule. For those new to making or interested in starting their own maker space, Dougherty offers advice and encouragement. Finally, he expresses his excitement about the current moment in the Maker Movement, hinting at the promising future of this global community of thinkers, builders, and dreamers. In this episode, we discuss the following:  [04:26] Introducing Dale Dougherty and discuss his career journey [08:55] Discussing the return of the Bay Area Maker Faire [12:56] Exploring the history of the Maker Movement [22:06] Examining the role of community [25:10] Showcasing the power of Makers  [29:39] Considering the role of technology and generative AI [36:32] Sharing advice for someone new to Maker Faire and Making Mentioned in this episode:  Purchase tickets to the About our guest:  DALE DOUGHERTY is the leading advocate of the Maker Movement. He founded Make: Magazine 2005, which first used the term “makers” to describe people who enjoyed “hands-on” work and play. He started Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, and this event has spread to nearly 200 locations in 40 countries, with over 1.5M attendees annually. He is President of Make:Community, which produces Make: and Maker Faire.   Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and For more reflections about the intersection of community and movements, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Share about future guests / topics of exploration. Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast.  

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas dive deep into AI ethics with Mihaela Vorvoreanu, Director of UX Research and RAI Education for Microsoft's Aether. The conversation primarily focuses on "appropriate trust" in AI, emphasizing the need for accountability in AI systems. Vorvoreanu boldly challenges listeners to rethink Large Language Models (LLMs) not merely as information retrieval systems but as systems of fabrication. She further confronts the exaggerated notion of AI as super capable and superhuman, shedding light on the common errors made by LLM-based systems and the implications for users. This episode offers invaluable perspectives on AI ethics, vigorously questioning the hyperbole surrounding AI and making the field more comprehensible to a broader audience. In this episode, we discuss the following:  [2:00] Introducing Mihaela VorVoreanu, PhD and Aether, Microsoft's initiative for AI Ethics and Effects in Engineering and Research [8:00] Discussing the concept of responsible AI [11:44] Challenging terms such as “hallucinogenic” [12:24] Reframing LLMs as systems of fabrication [30:48] Sharing information about the direction of Aether's research  Mentioned in this episode: Advancing human-centered AI: Updates on responsible AI research Microsoft HAX Toolkit Overreliance on AI: Literature Review Responsible AI Maturity Model https://aka.ms/raimm About our guest(s):  In her current role, Mihaela leads research and education aimed at advancing the practice of RAI. Before joining Microsoft, she had an accomplished academic career, most recently at Purdue University, where she established and led the undergraduate and graduate UX Design and research programs.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaelavorvoreanu/  Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: . For more reflections about the intersection of community and artificial intelligence, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Share your thoughts about future guests / topics of exploration. Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast.

Episode Summary: In the latest episode of the Cohere podcast, social learning theorists Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner delve into an engaging discussion with co-hosts Dr. Lauren Vargas and Bill Johnston. The guests explore the evolution of communities of practice, their forthcoming CoP Guidebook, and their unique workshops and retreats. They provide insights into their ongoing research project, a tripartite book series designed to update and expand their social learning theory. The inaugural volume, published in 2020, focuses on value creation within social learning spaces. The subsequent volumes, currently in development, will concentrate on expanding social learning across temporal and spatial dimensions and the personal journey of actively participating in the learning process. Memorable Quote: “One thing I should say is, To be absolutely honest, I speak for myself, but who cares about communities of practice? Honestly, I don't, and I don't believe that Etienne does. I don't care about community practice, what we care about is developing social learning capability of people, of groups, of organizations, of our planet. Otherwise, sorry guys. We've had it. So what keeps us up at night or what drives this restless energy is wow, how can we speed up the learning loops if things are moving so fast? Everything's so unexpected. Unless we get so much better and quicker at developing learning loops into what's working and what's not working. Unless we get quicker at that, we're out mate. And so that's the driving restlessness and the communities of practice are one part of that." Beverly Wenger-Trayner   In this episode, we discuss the following:  [0:15] Introducing Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner [2:30] Defining Communities of Practice (CoP) [19:03] Discussing the role of AI in social learning [28:23] Moving beyond CoPs [36:45] Sharing information about upcoming books and events   Mentioned in this episode:  [Book] [Book]  by Etienne Wenger [Book] by Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner [Book] by Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner [Website] from Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner [Website] from Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner   About our guest(s):  Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner are internationally renowned social learning theorists and consultants. Their pioneering work in social learning is influential in such diverse fields as learning theory, business, government, international development, healthcare, and education. Their consulting practice specializes in contexts where there are large-scale social learning challenges. They founded the Social Learning Lab, where they host series of events oriented to theory, practice, and leadership. The co-edited volume Learning in landscapes of practice expands the theory beyond single communities. Systems convening sheds light on a crucial form of social-learning leadership. They are preparing a guidebook for communities of practice. They have started a book series called Learning to make a difference and recently published the first volume. It introduces the concept of social learning space as a new foundation for the theory, and their value-creation framework as a tool for both conceptualizing and cultivating social learning.       Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and . For more reflections about the intersection of community and social learning, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Have you recently discovered the Cohere Podcast? We would love to know your first impressions. Leave a review and tell us what you like about the show, and what you think could be improved. Share about future guests / topics of exploration. Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast.

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with Ed Finn, the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. As an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Arts, Media, and Engineering, Finn provides fascinating insights into the Center's endeavors, the collaborative imagination and writing project 'Hieroglyph,' and the pioneering Imaginative Collaboration Framework. Throughout the discussion, Finn emphasizes the influential role of hopeful stories in shaping collective visions for the future and shares examples demonstrating how these narratives can drive innovation, learning, and societal transformation. Mentioned in this episode:  [Book] by a partnership of Slate, Arizona State University, and New America [Book] edited by David H. Guston and Ed Finn [Book] edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer [Book] by Ed Finn [Article] by Ed Finn and Ruth Wylie [Website] [Website] [Website] [Website] [Website]   About our guest(s):  Ed Finn is the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University where he is an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Arts, Media and Engineering. He also serves as the academic director of Future Tense, a partnership between ASU, New America and Slate Magazine, and a co-director of Emerge, an annual festival of art, ideas and the future. Ed's research and teaching explore imagination, digital culture, creative collaboration, and the intersection of the humanities, arts and sciences. He is the author of What Algorithms Want: Imagination in the Age of Computing (MIT Press, spring 2017) and co-editor of Future Tense Fiction (Unnamed Press, 2019), Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers and Creators of All Kinds (MIT Press, 2017) and Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future (William Morrow, 2014), among other books. He completed his PhD in English and American Literature at Stanford University in 2011 and his bachelor's degree at Princeton University in 2002. Before graduate school, Ed worked as a journalist at Time, Slate, and Popular Science.   Call-to-Action(s): If you liked this episode, check out: and For more reflections about the intersection of community and futures literacy, subscribe to the Cohere Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Share about future guests / topics of exploration. Check out #BookDNA for a list of books, articles, and whitepapers featured on the Cohere Podcast.  

Jerry and Dava Truett lived well beyond their means in the small central Texas town of Kosse. They owned a lake house and a speed boat. They drove a pair of expensive pickup trucks and numerous recreational vehicles. Townfolk thought they were receiving oil and gas money from their farmland or had an inheritance. How Did They Live Such An Extravagant Lifestyle On Small-Town Wages? The small community of 500 people confronted the cold-blooded truth about the couple's lifestyle when 52-year-old Michael Wells was murdered inside the First State Bank of Kosse. Sue and Michael Wells (Slain President of First State Bank of Kosse Williams was the bank's president and a beloved community leader. He arrived early one morning before the bank opened to meet with a customer. A 68-year-old business owner wanted to find out why thirty thousand dollars was missing from his account. Before they could meet, Williams was gunned down. The bank's vault was still locked. No money was missing from it. But in the aftermath of this tragedy, an FBI audit discovered that $700,000 was missing from elderly customers' accounts. What happened to all of that money? In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast investigative reporter Robert Riggs takes you inside the crime scene tape with a case from former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston. It will leave you wondering if you can trust anyone. LINK to previous bank robbery episodes mentioned: This Bank Gets Robbed Everyday With Former FBI Agent Don Bentley The High School Gang That Graduated To Cold Blooded Murder FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Jerry and Dava Truett lived well beyond their means in the small central Texas town of Kosse. They owned a lake house and a speed boat. They drove a pair of expensive pickup trucks and numerous recreational vehicles. Townfolk thought they were receiving oil and gas money from their farmland or had an inheritance. How Did They Live Such An Extravagant Lifestyle On Small-Town Wages? The small community of 500 people confronted the cold-blooded truth about the couple's lifestyle when 52-year-old Michael Wells was murdered inside the First State Bank of Kosse. Sue and Michael Wells (Slain President of First State Bank of Kosse Williams was the bank's president and a beloved community leader. He arrived early one morning before the bank opened to meet with a customer. A 68-year-old business owner wanted to find out why thirty thousand dollars was missing from his account. Before they could meet, Williams was gunned down. The bank's vault was still locked. No money was missing from it. But in the aftermath of this tragedy, an FBI audit discovered that $700,000 was missing from elderly customers' accounts. What happened to all of that money? In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast investigative reporter Robert Riggs takes you inside the crime scene tape with a case from former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston. It will leave you wondering if you can trust anyone. LINK to previous bank robbery episodes mentioned: This Bank Gets Robbed Everyday With Former FBI Agent Don Bentley The High School Gang That Graduated To Cold Blooded Murder

Venessa Paech is an internationally regarded online community strategist with over 25 years of experience building community online. Venessa is also a PhD candidate studying the intersection of AI and community, and a global authority on communities and community management. In the first Cohere episode of 2023, Venessa joins Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas to discuss the quickly evolving role of AI in our digital experiences, how AI is currently playing a role in online communities, and what the future may hold regarding our collective relationship with AI. Key Quote: "It's still a relationship business. It's just we now have relationships with tools and machines in a new way:  in a more anthropomorphized way and in ways that mimic our own thinking and behavior sufficiently that we do need to recontextualize them. So how do we do that in a way that still prioritizes and centers the human work of what we're doing and brings us to those core community protocols of: How are we building a healthy, thriving, constructive space for constituents? is it accessible? Is it productive in meaningful ways? Is it relevant? And honoring the context, always honoring our context, which is one of the biggest problems we do see with so many different sorts of automated and or AI tools, is they tend to flatten and standardize context because that is how they operate. … But for community, which is typically a smaller, more intimate, and more nuanced sort of cluster of relations and ties, that does not work.”    Resources From This Episode: All things In Moderation Conference:   SWARM (Australia's Community Management Conference):   Australian Community Managers:   Books: by Kate Crawford by Carrie Melissa Jones and Charles Vogl by Howard Rheingold by Adrian Speyer by Howard Rheingold Venessa's scholarship:   Where to find Venessa:   

Jerry and Dava Truett lived well beyond their means in the small central Texas town of Kosse. They owned a lake house and a speed boat. They drove a pair of expensive pickup trucks and numerous recreational vehicles. Townfolk thought they were receiving oil and gas money from their farmland or had an inheritance. The small community of 500 people confronted the cold-blooded truth about the couple's lifestyle when 52-year-old Michael Wells was murdered inside the First State Bank of Kosse. Williams was the bank's president and a beloved community leader. He arrived early one morning before the bank opened to meet with a customer. A 68-year-old business owner wanted to find out why thirty thousand dollars was missing from his account. Before they could meet, Williams was gunned down. The bank's vault was still locked. No money was missing from it. But in the aftermath of this tragedy, an FBI audit discovered that $700,000 was missing from elderly customers' accounts. What happened to all of that money? In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast investigative reporter Robert Riggs takes you inside the crime scene tape with a case from former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston. It will leave you wondering if you can trust anyone. We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  The True Crime Reporter® podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals. True Crime Reporter® is a @2023 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the evening of April 7th, 2006, Matt Baker, a Baptist preacher from the small town of Hewitt, Texas, goes out to get gas and rent a movie for the night. When he returns home, he finds his wife, Kari Baker, dead in bed with a suicide note nearby. Local authorities rule it a suicide and the case is closed. But Linda Dulin, Kari's mother, and her family don't believe it and hire attorney Bill Johnston and his team of investigators to look into the circumstances of Kari's death. Matt maintains he had nothing to do with Kari's death, even as his story seems to unravel. Based on the 48 Hours investigation, “Dirty Little Secrets”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joi Podgorny returns to the Cohere podcast to discuss her unique perspective on the state of the Metaverse with hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas. In season 1, in the early stages of the pandemic, Joi and Bill explored the part communities, and in particular VR-based communities, might play during the lockdown and socially-distanced period of the pandemic.  On this episode, Joi returns to revisit the conversation in Season 1, talk about her new role with Together Labs, and discuss how kids have weathered the pandemic in virtual worlds and in real life. Of particular note is Joi's perspective on the science of Friendship, and how the three pillars of Friendship (proximity, familiarity, and positivity) are guiding principles in her work.  

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk about the state of social media generally and twitter in particular. Discussing twitter as one of the canaries in the social media coal mine, Bill and Lauren look back to the dawn of social media and discuss the concerns that early community leaders expressed when "social media" sucked all of the oxygen out of the room in the mid 00's. We look at the longstanding and uneasy relationship between social media and community and discuss the ways our current circumstances might be an opportunity to evolve to better shared digital experiences.

Nester Oswaldo Hernandez -- Parolee Charged With Murdering 2 Nurses In Dallas June 2022 Sitting in the maternity ward of Dallas Methodist Hospital, 30-year-old Nester Oswaldo Hernandez told his girlfriend “we are both going to die today, and whoever comes in this room is going to die with us.” Hernandez, a violent offender out on early parole in Texas, executed a social worker and a nurse as they entered the room of his girlfriend and newborn baby, according to a Dallas police arrest warrant. Hernandez had just accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. He pistol-whipped her and fatally shot the two healthcare workers before a security officer wounded him.  Hernandez had a long rap sheet. He was on parole for an aggravated robbery. In 2015, Hernandez and a female accomplice attacked a woman who was returning home from work.  They taped the victim's hands together and taped over her eyes.  They broke her nose and fractured her eye during the robbery. Hernandez stole her phone, car, and $3,000 cash from a school fundraiser.  A year before the hospital murder, Hernandez was released early on parole with a special electronic monitoring condition. Hernandez was granted permission to be at the hospital with his girlfriend during and after the baby's delivery.  He was wearing an active ankle monitor. Shortly after the shooting, Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia called the killings "an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system" and said, “we give violent criminals more chances than our victims.” Investigative reporter Robert Riggs, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, and the Chief of Police of Prosper, Texas, Doug Kowalski, discuss early release policies setting off a wave of violence across the United States. We also discuss how thieves in some cities get a free pass and crime in New York City. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Nester Oswaldo Hernandez -- Parolee Charged With Murdering 2 Nurses In Dallas June 2022 Sitting in the maternity ward of Dallas Methodist hospital, 30-year-old Nester Oswaldo Hernandez told his girlfriend that “we are both going to die today, and whoever comes in this room is going to die with us.” Hernandez, a violent offender out on early parole in Texas, executed a social worker and a nurse as they entered the room of his girlfriend and newborn baby, according to a Dallas police arrest warrant. Hernandez had just accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. He pistol-whipped her and fatally shot the two healthcare workers before a security officer wounded him.  Hernandez had a long rap sheet. He was on parole for an aggravated robbery. In 2015 Hernandez and a female accomplice attacked a woman who was returning home from work.  They taped the victim's hands together and taped over her eyes.  They broke her nose and fractured her eye during the robbery. Hernandez stole her phone, car, and $3,000 cash from a school fundraiser.  A year before the hospital murder, Hernandez was released early on parole with a special electronic monitoring condition. Hernandez was granted permission to be at the hospital with his girlfriend during and after the baby's delivery.  He was wearing an active ankle monitor. Shortly after the shooting, Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia called the killings "an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system" and said, “we give violent criminals more chances than our victims.” Investigative reporter Robert Riggs, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, and the Chief of Police of Prosper, Texas, Doug Kowalski discuss early release policies that are setting off a wave of violence across the United States. We also discuss how thieves in some cities are getting a free pass and crime in New York City.

Sitting in the maternity ward of Dallas Methodist hospital, 30-year-old Nester Oswaldo Hernandez told his girlfriend that “we are both going to die today, and whoever comes in this room is going to die with us.” Hernandez, a violent offender out on early parole in Texas, executed a social worker and a nurse as they entered the room of his girlfriend and newborn baby, according to a Dallas police arrest warrant. Hernandez had just accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. He pistol-whipped her and fatally shot the two healthcare workers before a security officer wounded him.  Hernandez had a long rap sheet. He was on parole for an aggravated robbery. In 2015 Hernandez and a female accomplice attacked a woman who was returning home from work.  They taped the victim's hands together and taped over her eyes.  They broke her nose and fractured her eye during the robbery. Hernandez stole her phone, car, and $3,000 cash from a school fundraiser.  A year before the hospital murder, Hernandez was released early on parole with a special electronic monitoring condition. Hernandez was granted permission to be at the hospital with his girlfriend during and after the baby's delivery.  He was wearing an active ankle monitor. Shortly after the shooting, Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia called the killings "an abhorrent failure of our criminal justice system" and said, “we give violent criminals more chances than our victims.” Investigative reporter Robert Riggs, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, and the Chief of Police of Prosper, Texas, Doug Kowalski discuss early release policies that are setting off a wave of violence across the United States. We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  The True Crime Reporter® podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals. True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The previous episode showed how homicide detectives solved 50-year-old cold cases. They analyzed old evidence using new DNA extraction technology pioneered by Othram, a forensic genealogy lab in Texas. Othram provided new leads by finding relatives of suspects on genealogy databases. As revolutionary as that seems, it was just a few years ago that the FBI pioneered the use of mitochondrial DNA in a Texas murder case. Mitochondrial DNA is handed down from mother to child, so it can only tell you about your maternal ancestors. In a landmark case, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston used the mitochondrial DNA from a single hair to send a killer to prison for the rest of his life. Here's the backstory of how he did it.  FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

In the previous episode, we showed how homicide detectives solved 50-year-old cold cases. They analyzed old evidence using new DNA extraction technology pioneered by Othram, a forensic genealogy lab in Texas. Othram provided new leads by finding relatives of suspects on genealogy databases. As revolutionary as that seems, it was just a few years ago that the FBI pioneered the use of mitochondrial DNA in a Texas murder case. Mitochondrial DNA is handed down from mother to child, so it can only tell you about your maternal ancestors. In a landmark case, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston used the mitochondrial DNA from a single hair to send a killer to prison for the rest of his life. Here's the backstory of how he did it. 

In the previous episode, we showed how homicide detectives solved 50-year-old cold cases. They analyzed old evidence by using new DNA extraction technology pioneered by Othram, a forensic genealogy lab in Texas. Othram provided new leads by finding relatives of suspects on genealogy databases. As revolutionary as that seems, it was just a few years ago that the FBI pioneered the use of mitochondrial DNA in a Texas murder case. Mitochondrial DNA is handed down from mother to child, so it can only tell you about your maternal ancestors. In a landmark case, former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston used the mitochondrial DNA from a single hair to send a killer to prison for the rest of his life. Here's the backstory of how he did it.  We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  The True Crime Reporter® podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals. True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 58 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we are returning to one of my favorite topics of discussion: textiles. We are expanding on several other episodes that have dove into textile production in the outdoor industry as well as what it means to have a circular production model. To help me expand on these ideas, I had the pleasure of chatting with Bill Johnston. Bill is the founder and president of Recover Brands, a North Carolina-based sustainable apparel company. Recover Brands is a mission-driven company that creates environmentally friendly and socially responsible products. From producing premium garments from start to finish all in one facility to where and how the product is locally made, Recover Brands' renewably sourced collections deliver an innovative solution for a better tomorrow. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/ WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/ ORDER THE BOOK: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/book ------------------------- Use the code OUTDOORMINIMALIST for 10% off every Neo Bites order. RECOVER BRANDS WEBSITE: https://recoverbrands.com/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/recoverbrands/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/recoverbrands PODCAST: https://recoverbrands.com/a/blog/category/be-the-impact-podcast YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYUqtiaAWIrw2z1O0GCO__A

On this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with cultural professional Ed Rodley about innovative experience design. Ed shares how his experience as a museum technologist has prepared him to explore and challenge the concept of ‘immersion'. This season, we are identifying the critical mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets community professionals need to hone for the next iteration of the Internet. Ed introduces the concepts of the ‘magic circle' and ‘story worlds' to illustrate ‘immersion' is not a one-size-fits-all experience.      

The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got involved in investigating criminal cases. In response, the podcast featured an episode with Riggs on July 4, 2022, explaining how he first got involved in digging for information during the Watergate scandal case while working for Congressman Wright Patman. In this episode, we cover the highlights of Bill Johnston's distinguished law career. Bill devoted his career as a federal prosecutor to, in effect, protect the sheep from the wolves.  He helped launch the manhunt for notorious serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff, who tortured and murdered countless young women. His role in bringing McDuff to justice and prosecuting the Texas Parole Board Chairman official who released McDuff under a cloud of corruption is featured in the Fox Nation documentary Freed To Kill.  Johnston became the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® podcast with Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs in 2021.  Johnston had a guilty verdict returned in every federal prosecution in hundreds of jury trials that he undertook during his 14-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice.  A noteworthy criminal case includes the Branch Davidian cult members who murdered four ATF agents during a raid on their heavily armed compound outside Waco.   The Texas Rangers, rather than FBI agents, were Johnston's go-to investigators for complex murder cases.  He managed a team of Rangers to investigate the crime scene at the Davidian compound after the end of the controversial inferno.  Johnston successfully prosecuted a mail bomber, which was the first case tried under the U.S. Violence Against Women Act. Other firsts include the first jury trial in the United States in which mitochondrial DNA (hair without root) was used in evidence against a violent “car-jacking” defendant who caused the death of an elderly man in Texas. He received a mandatory life sentence without parole. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got involved in investigating criminal cases. In response, the podcast featured an episode with Riggs on July 4, 2022, explaining how he first got involved digging for information during the Watergate scandal case while working for Congressman Wright Patman. In this episode, we cover the highlights of Bill Johnston's distinguished law career. Bill devoted his career as a federal prosecutor to, in effect, protect the sheep from the wolves.  He helped launch the manhunt for notorious serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff who tortured and murdered countless young women. His role in bringing McDuff to justice and prosecuting the Texas Parole Board Chairman official who released McDuff under a cloud of corruption is featured in the Fox Nation documentary Freed To Kill.  Johnston became the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® podcast with Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs in 2021.  Johnston had a guilty verdict returned in every federal prosecution in hundreds of jury trials that he undertook during his 14-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice.  A noteworthy criminal case includes the Branch Davidian cult members who murdered four ATF agents during a raid on their heavily armed compound outside Waco.   The Texas Rangers, rather than FBI agents, were Johnston's go-to investigators for complex murder cases.  He managed a team of Rangers to investigate the crime scene at the Davidian compound after the end of the controversial inferno.  Johnston successfully prosecuted a mail bomber which was the first case tried under the U.S. Violence Against Women Act. Other firsts include the first jury trial in the United States in which mitochondrial DNA (hair without root) was used in evidence against a violent “car-jacking” defendant who caused the death of an elderly man in Texas. He received a mandatory life sentence without parole. Here's Robert's interview with Bill. 

The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got involved in investigating criminal cases. In response, the podcast featured an episode with Riggs on July 4, 2022, explaining how he first got involved digging for information during the Watergate scandal case while working for Congressman Wright Patman. In this episode, we cover the highlights of Bill Johnston's distinguished law career. Bill devoted his career as a federal prosecutor to, in effect, protect the sheep from the wolves.  He helped launch the manhunt for notorious serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff who tortured and murdered countless young women. His role in bringing McDuff to justice and prosecuting the Texas Parole Board Chairman official who released McDuff under a cloud of corruption is featured in the Fox Nation documentary Freed To Kill.  Johnston became the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® podcast with Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs in 2021.  Johnston had a guilty verdict returned in every federal prosecution in hundreds of jury trials that he undertook during his 14-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice.  A noteworthy criminal case includes the Branch Davidian cult members who murdered four ATF agents during a raid on their heavily armed compound outside Waco.   The Texas Rangers, rather than FBI agents, were Johnston's go-to investigators for complex murder cases.  He managed a team of Rangers to investigate the crime scene at the Davidian compound after the end of the controversial inferno.  Johnston successfully prosecuted a mail bomber which was the first case tried under the U.S. Violence Against Women Act. Other firsts include the first jury trial in the United States in which mitochondrial DNA (hair without root) was used in evidence against a violent “car-jacking” defendant who caused the death of an elderly man in Texas. He received a mandatory life sentence without parole. Here's Robert's interview with Bill.  We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  The True Crime Reporter® podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals. True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of you have asked how Robert became an investigative reporter.  After all, most of the stories you hear on this podcast come from my reporter's notebook. Riggs' career path has zigged and zagged since I received a degree in Architecture and Construction from Texas A&M University. Upon graduation, he headed off to Capitol Hill. In this episode, my cohost, former prosecutor Bill Johnston, takes me back to the Watergate scandal 50 years ago. Bill has never heard some of these stories, and in later episodes, Riggs will interview him about his high-profile criminal cases. Riggs shares a muck-raking tale of bribery and international intrigue. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Many of you have asked how Robert became an investigative reporter.  After all, most of the stories you hear on this podcast come out of my reporter's notebook. Riggs' career path has zigged and zagged from when I received a degree in Architecture and Construction from Texas A&M University and upon graduation, he headed off to Capitol Hill. In this episode, my cohost, former prosecutor Bill Johnston takes me back to the Watergate scandal of 50 years ago. Bill has never heard some of these stories and in later episodes, Riggs is going to interview him about his high-profile criminal cases. Riggs shares a muck-raking tale of bribery and international intrigue. Here's Robert's conversation with Bill.  The True Crime Reporter®features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mystery, homicides, cold cases, prisons, criminals, serial rapists, child abduction, kidnapping, bank robbery, and violent crime.

Many of you have asked how Robert became an investigative reporter.  After all, most of the stories you hear on this podcast come out of my reporter's notebook. Riggs' career path has zigged and zagged from when I received a degree in Architecture and Construction from Texas A&M University and upon graduation, he headed off to Capitol Hill. In this episode, my cohost, former prosecutor Bill Johnston takes me back to the Watergate scandal of 50 years ago. Bill has never heard some of these stories and in later episodes, Riggs is going to interview him about his high-profile criminal cases. Riggs shares a muck-raking tale of bribery and international intrigue. Here's Robert's conversation with Bill.  We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas. The True Crime Reporter®features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mystery, homicides, cold cases, prisons, criminals, serial rapists, child abduction, kidnapping, bank robbery, and violent crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Baker, the charismatic Baptist minister who almost got away with murdering his wife is among our most popular episodes. On his way to the pulpit in Waco, Texas, Baker molested numerous young women. An investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant denomination, revealed that church leaders covered up sexual assaults by hundreds of pastors like Matt Bakers for twenty years. A seven-month investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions released in May of 2022 found that sex-abusing pastors were often passed along to other churches with no notice or warnings. Two top officials of the Southern Baptist Convention kept their private list of abusive pastors for ten years. And the list of 703 abusers may soon become public. We expect Matt Baker to be on that list. Former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast, unraveled a trail of sex abuse complaints about Matt Baker during his murder investigation. Johnston and investigative reporter Robert Riggs update their original episode, The Minister Who Almost Got Away With Murder, published on October 18th, 2021. Johnston reveals how his murder investigation discovered that Matt Baker'slong history of sexual abuse allegations had been swept under the rug for years.  Riggs discusses the mindset of sexual predators based on his experience of reporting from inside the Texas prison system. Link to Investigation of Sexual Abuse Allegations At Southern Baptist Convention FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Matt Baker, the charismatic Baptist minister who almost got away with murdering his wife is among our most popular episodes. On his way to the pulpit in Waco, Texas, Baker molested young women. An investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant denomination, revealed that sexual assaults by hundreds of pastors like Matt Bakers were covered up by church leaders for twenty years. A seven-month investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions released in May of 2022 found that sex abusing pastors were often passed along to other churches with no notice or warnings. Two top officials of the Southern Baptist Convention kept their own private list of abusive pastors for ten years. And the list of 703 abusers may soon become public. We expect Matt Baker to be on that list. Former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast, unraveled a trail of sex abuse complaints about Matt Baker during his murder investigation. Johnston and investigative reporter Robert Riggs update their original episode titled, The Minister Who Almost Got Away With Murder, published on October 18th of 2021. Johnston reveals how his murder investigation discovered that Matt Baker'slong history of sexual abuse allegations had been swept under the rug for years.  Riggs discusses the mindset of sexual predators based on his experience of reporting from inside the Texas prison system. Link To Southern Baptist Conference Investigation of Sexual Abuse Allegations We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas. The True Crime Reporter®features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mystery, homicides, cold cases, prisons, criminals, serial rapists, child abduction, kidnapping, bank robbery, and violent crime.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baptist Preacher Matt Baker Molested Girls & Almost Got Away With Murdering His Wife Matt Baker, the charismatic Baptist minister who almost got away with murdering his wife is among our most popular episodes. On his way to the pulpit in Waco, Texas, Baker molested numerous young women. An investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant denomination, revealed that sexual assaults by hundreds of pastors like Matt Bakers were covered up by church leaders for twenty years. A seven-month investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions released in May of 2022 found that sex abusing pastors were often passed along to other churches with no notice or warnings. Two top officials of the Southern Baptist Convention kept their own private list of abusive pastors for ten years. And the list of 703 abusers may soon become public. We expect Matt Baker to be on that list. Former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston, the cohost of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast, unraveled a trail of sex abuse complaints about Matt Baker during his murder investigation. Johnston and investigative reporter Robert Riggs update their original episode titled, The Minister Who Almost Got Away With Murder, published on October 18th of 2021. Johnston reveals how his murder investigation discovered that Matt Baker'slong history of sexual abuse allegations had been swept under the rug for years.  Riggs discusses the mindset of sexual predators based on his experience of reporting from inside the Texas prison system. Link to Investigation of Sexual Abuse Allegations At Southern Baptist Convention

Sheriff Parnell McNamara promised his constituents in McLennan County, Texas around Waco that he would actively pursue cold cases. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara & Reporter Robert Riggs McNamara was elected for a third four-year term in January 2021. He has made good on his campaign pledge to open up long-forgotten homicide cases. Because as McNamara sees it, no one should get away with murder, and the victim's family deserves to know what happened. U.S. Marshall Guy McNamara 1933 (on right) Guy McNamara Constable 1907 (seated) The McNamara clan started in law enforcement in 1902 with Guy McNamara, who President Franklin Roosevelt later appointed as a U.S. Marshal in 1933. Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike McNamara, Serial Killer Kenneth McDuff, Deputy U.S. Marshal Parnell McNamara You may recall from our earlier episodes about serial killer Kenneth McDuff that it was the brothers, Deputy U.S. Marshals Parnell and Mike McNamara, that launched the manhunt for McDuff with former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston.  L-R Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike McNamara, Federal Prosecutor Bill Johnston, Deputy U.S. Marshal Parnell McNamara with Big Foot After 36 years with the U.S. Marshals Service, Parnell McNamara reached the mandatory retirement age.   He retired for nine years but was unwilling to be put out to pasture, as they say here in Texas. Sheriff Parnell McNamara Holds 50 Calibre "Tommy Gun" He was elected Sheriff in 2011 on a campaign slogan of “Riding Herd on the Lawless.” McNamara, wearing his trademark Stetson cowboy hat, is a throwback to the old West.   rThe western historical decor in his office looks like a modern-day Dodge City occupied by Wyatt Earp.  L-R Capt Steve January, Robert Riggs & Seiler Burr of True Crime Reporter™, Sheriff Parnell McNamara I sat down to talk to Sheriff McNamara and the Captain of his cold case unit, Steve January. They started by giving me a challenge coin for the unit.   It features the “Dead Man's Hand In Poker”, the combination of cards that “Wild Bill” Hickok was holding when he was shot dead point-blank in the back of the head.  Wild Bill Hickok Monument at Deadwood, South Dakota Like I said, this is the old west where McNamara still forms a posse to hunt down fugitives.  And one more thing. McNamara inspired Jeff Bridge's role in Come Hell or High Water, which was written by his cousin Taylor Sheridan, best known now for Yellowstone.  Robert Riggs & Captain Steve January Display Nicole Sheridan's Yellowstone Hoodie She Wore When Presenting A Generous Donation to the McLennan County Sheriff's Cold Case Unit Saddle up your horse. Here's my interview with Sheriff Parnell McNamara from inside the crime scene tape. If you wish to contribute to Sheriff McNamara's Cold Case Unit, send it to: McLennan County Sheriff's Office Attn: Cold Case Unit 901 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701 FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Sheriff Parnell McNamara promised his constituents in McLennan County, Texas around Waco that he would actively pursue cold cases. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara & Reporter Robert Riggs McNamara was elected for a third four-year term in January of 2021. And he has made good on his campaign pledge to open up homicide cases that had been long forgotten. Because as McNamara sees it no one should get away with murder and the victim's family deserves to know what happened. U.S. Marshall Guy McNamara 1933 (on right) Guy McNamara Constable 1907 (seated) The McNamara clan started in law enforcement in 1902 with Guy McNamara who President Franklin Roosevelt later appointed as a U.S. Marshal in 1933. Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike McNamara, Serial Killer Kenneth McDuff, Deputy U.S. Marshal Parnell McNamara You may recall from our earlier episodes about serial killer Kenneth McDuff, that it was the brothers, Deputy U.S. Marshals Parnell and Mike McNamara that launched the manhunt for McDuff with my co host former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston.  L-R Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike McNamara, Federal Prosecutor Bill Johnston, Deputy U.S. Marshal Parnell McNamara with Big Foot After 36 years with the U.S. Marshals Service, Parnell McNamara reached the mandatory retirement age.   He retired for nine years but was not willing to be put out to pasture as they say here in Texas. Sheriff Parnell McNamara Holds 50 Calibre "Tommy Gun" He was elected Sheriff in 2011 on a campaign slogan of “Riding Herd on the Lawless.” McNamara wearing his trademark Stetson cowboy hat is a throwback to the old West.   rThe western historical decor in his office looks like a modern-day Dodge City occupied by Wyatt Earp.  L-R Capt Steve January, Robert Riggs & Seiler Burr of True Crime Reporter™, Sheriff Parnell McNamara I sat down to talk to Sheriff McNamara and the Captain of his cold case unit Steve January. They started by giving me a challenge coin for the unit.   It features the “Dead Man's Hand In Poker”, the combination of cards that “Wild Bill” Hickok was holding when he was shot dead point-blank in the back of the head.  Wild Bill Hickok Monument at Deadwood, South Dakota Like I said this is the old west where McNamara still forms a posse to hunt down fugitives.  And one more thing. McNamara was the inspiration for Jeff Bridge's role in Come Hell or High Water which was written by his cousin Taylor Sheridan, best known now for Yellowstone.  Robert Riggs & Captain Steve January Display Nicole Sheridan's Yellowstone Hoodie She Wore When Presenting A Generous Donation to the McLennan County Sheriff's Cold Case Unit Saddle up your horse. Here's my interview from inside the crime scene tape with Sheriff Parnell McNamara. If you wish to make a contribution to Sheriff McNamara's Cold Case Unit, send it to: McLennan County Sheriff's Office Attn: Capt. Steve January 901 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701

Sheriff Parnell McNamara promised his constituents in McLennan County, Texas around Waco that he would actively pursue cold cases. McNamara was elected for a third four-year term in January of 2021. And he has made good on his campaign pledge to open up homicide cases that had been long forgotten. Because as McNamara sees it no one should get away with murder and the victim's family deserves to know what happened. The McNamara clan started in law enforcement in 1902 with Guy McNamara who President Franklin Roosevelt later appointed as a U.S. Marshal in 1933. You may recall from our earlier episodes about serial killer Kenneth McDuff, that it was the brothers, Deputy U.S. MarshalsParnell and Mike McNamara that launched the manhunt for McDuff with my co-host former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston.  After 36 years with the U.S. Marshals Service, Parnell McNamara reached the mandatory retirement age.   He retired for nine years but was not willing to be put out to pasture as they say here in Texas. He was elected Sheriff in 2011 on a campaign slogan of “Riding Herd on the Lawless.” McNamara wearing his trademark Stetson cowboy hat is a throwback to the old West.   The western historical decor in his office looks like a modern-day Dodge City occupied by Wyatt Earp.  I sat down to talk to Sheriff McNamara and the Captain of his cold case unit Steve January. They started by giving me a challenge coin for the unit.   It features the “Dead Man's Hand In Poker”, the combination of cards that “Wild Bill” Hickok was holding when he was shot dead point-blank in the back of the head.  Like I said this is the old west where McNamara still forms a posse to hunt down fugitives.  And one more thing. McNamara was the inspiration for Jeff Bridge's role in Come Hell or High Waterwhich was written by his cousin Taylor Sheridan, best known now for Yellowstone.  Saddle up your horse. Here's my interview from inside the crime scene tape with Sheriff Parnell McNamara. If you wish to make a contribution to Sheriff McNamara's Cold Case Unit, send it to: McLennan County Sheriff's Office Attn: Capt. Steve January 901 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701 We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen. Join our true crime community and follow us here.  True Crime Reporter™ is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gun-wielding gang members from Houston burst into a rural bank located a hundred miles north of Houston. The high school-age teenagers graduated from burglaries and drive-by shootings to cold-blooded murders that day. They left behind the bullet-riddled body of an 82-year-old woman who was tending her family's graves. They robbed a bank and shot up the small town while making their getaway. They pistol-whipped a deputy sheriff and used his gun to shoot a Texas State Trooper.  Investigative reporter Robert Riggs covered the murder, and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston sent them to prison. They are back with another story inside the crime scene tape about the execution of the sweet elderly lady known as Miss Ruby. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Gun-wielding gang members from Houston burst into a rural bank located a hundred miles north of Houston. The high school-age teenagers graduated from burglaries and drive-by shootings to cold-blooded murder that day. They left behind the bullet-riddled body of an 82-year old woman who was tending her family's graves. They robbed a bank and shot up the small town while making their getaway. They pistol-whipped a deputy sheriff and used his gun to shoot a Texas State Trooper.  Investigative reporter Robert Riggs covered the murder and former U.S.prosecutor Bill Johnston sent them to prison. They are back with another story inside the crime scene tape about the execution of the sweet elderly lady known as Miss Ruby. This is a True Crime Reporter@ Confidential.

Before Columbine. Before Sandy Hook. Before Virginia Tech.  There was the Sniper in the Tower at the University of Texas. America's first mass murder and school shooting unfolded on live television in Austin, Texas, more than a half-century ago. Since then, the question has lingered, “Why did he do it?” Gary Lavergne, the author of A Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders, addresses the whys and the myths about the why. In this True Crime Reporter™, Confidential investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston take listeners back to 1966 when a student cut down fifty people in 96 minutes. We have placed links in the show notes to black-and-white film footage from the shooting and a video of Gary Lavergne following the sniper's trail to the top of the UT Tower FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about