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The Arkansas Supreme Court removed Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's murder case 48 hours before trial was set to begin. This is the same judge who released Michael Fosler on bond after he was charged with 43 felonies including alleged rape of a minor. The same judge whose gag order the Supreme Court already struck down as a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." The same judge who ignored their warning and restricted public access again. Now 14 state legislators have filed a formal complaint with the Judicial Discipline Commission. The Supreme Court granted a Writ of Certiorari to review every ruling Elmore made. And retired Judge Ralph Wilson—31 years on the bench, known as an advocate for children—is taking over one of the most watched trials in Arkansas. Aaron Spencer is the Lonoke County father charged with second-degree murder after killing Fosler. According to the defense, Fosler showed up with Spencer's 14-year-old daughter in his vehicle at 1 a.m. after she went missing from her bedroom—despite being charged with sexually assaulting her and ordered to stay away from minors. Spencer told authorities he rammed Fosler's truck off the road and shot him after Fosler allegedly lunged at him. The dashcam footage that could have supported the defense's version of events reportedly vanished—the SD card gone weeks before trial. But the bodycam from three months before the shooting, showing Spencer's grief when he learned about his daughter? Prosecutors kept that. They want it in front of the jury. Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what the judicial removal means, what prior rulings could be reconsidered, and whether this case should have ever been charged. Spencer is still running for Lonoke County Sheriff while awaiting trial.#AaronSpencer #JudgeBarbaraElmore #ArkansasSupremeCourt #MichaelFosler #BobMotta #LononkeCounty #JudicialMisconduct #SelfDefense #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeSystemJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
The choice of attorney tells you everything about how a case is going to be fought. Michael McKee just hired Diane Menashe—the defense attorney who walked Dr. William Husel out of a Columbus courtroom after fourteen murder charges. Every single count. Not guilty. She called one witness. She also kept cop-killer Quentin Smith off death row. Now she's defending the vascular surgeon accused of murdering Monique Tepe and Dr. Spencer Tepe in their Columbus home on December 30th. McKee pleaded not guilty Friday to four counts of aggravated murder. The evidence police have described is substantial: ballistics allegedly linking a weapon from McKee's property to shell casings at the scene, vehicle tracking showing the 325-mile drive from Columbus to Illinois and back, surveillance footage allegedly showing McKee in the alley behind the Tepe home, a firearm suppressor, and no forced entry. So how does Menashe attack a case that looks this overwhelming? Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down her likely strategy. The ballistics science that isn't as solid as prosecutors want juries to believe. The murky video identification. The eight-year gap between McKee's divorce and the alleged murders that complicates the premeditation narrative. And the mental health angle that could change everything. Menashe's philosophy is simple: she doesn't put on a defense case. She picks apart the prosecution's evidence piece by piece and lets it collapse under its own weight. That's how she got Husel acquitted on fourteen counts when the evidence seemed insurmountable. McKee isn't fighting for freedom. He's fighting for degrees of punishment. Two children lost their parents that night. The man accused of making them orphans just hired the best defense attorney in Columbus.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #WilliamHusel #BobMotta #TepeCase #AggravatedMurder #ColumbusOhio #DefenseStrategyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
The Arkansas Supreme Court just removed Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's murder trial—and appointed a retired judge from the opposite end of the state to take over. This wasn't a close call. Three justices wanted Elmore gone since May, when the high court struck down her gag order as a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." Seven months later, she tried again—different restrictions, same constitutional problems. This time they didn't just reverse her. They pulled her entirely. Elmore is the same judge who released Michael Fosler on bond after he was charged with 43 felonies including alleged rape of a minor, sexual assault, and child pornography. Fosler is the man Aaron Spencer killed after, according to the defense, he showed up with Spencer's 14-year-old daughter in his vehicle at 1 a.m. Spencer told authorities he rammed Fosler's truck off the road and shot him after Fosler allegedly lunged at him. Now 14 Republican state legislators have filed a formal complaint with the Judicial Discipline Commission about fair trial concerns. The Supreme Court granted a Writ of Certiorari to review Elmore's prior rulings—potentially reopening decisions that shaped the entire pretrial process. Defense attorney Bob Motta was in that Arkansas courtroom when the news broke. He joins us to analyze what it takes for a state supreme court to remove a judge mid-case, what retired Judge Ralph Wilson brings to one of the most watched trials in the state, and whether the prosecution might finally reconsider charges that public sentiment has turned against. The dashcam footage that could have supported self-defense reportedly vanished. But the bodycam showing Spencer's grief when he learned about his daughter? Prosecutors want that in front of the jury.#AaronSpencer #JudgeElmore #ArkansasSupremeCourt #BobMotta #MichaelFosler #LononkeCounty #JudicialRemoval #DefenseOfOthers #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Diane Menashe is a 27-year veteran of criminal defense in Columbus who specializes in cases that look unwinnable. In 2022, she co-led the defense of Dr. William Husel, the Mount Carmel physician charged with murdering fourteen ICU patients through allegedly lethal fentanyl doses. She called one witness. Husel was acquitted on all fourteen counts. She also kept cop-killer Quentin Smith off death row. Now she's representing Michael McKee—the vascular surgeon accused of driving 325 miles in the middle of the night to execute his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Dr. Spencer Tepe while their two young children slept nearby. McKee pleaded not guilty Friday to four counts of aggravated murder. The evidence police have described is staggering: ballistics allegedly matching a gun found at his property to shell casings at the scene, vehicle tracking from Ohio to Illinois, Ring camera footage, a firearm suppressor that screams premeditation, and no forced entry. So how does Menashe attack this case? Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down her likely strategy—the ballistics science that isn't as solid as prosecutors want juries to believe, the murky video identification, and the eight-year gap between McKee's divorce and the alleged murders that complicates the premeditation narrative. Menashe's philosophy is simple: she doesn't put on a defense case. She picks apart the prosecution's evidence piece by piece and lets it collapse under its own weight. McKee isn't fighting for freedom. He's fighting for degrees of punishment. And Menashe is the best in the business at finding daylight in the darkness. Two children lost their parents on December 30th. The man accused of making them orphans just hired Columbus's most formidable defense attorney.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #WilliamHusel #BobMotta #AggravatedMurder #ColumbusOhio #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Two murder cases. Two very different defense strategies. Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to break down both.Aaron Spencer's trial just got a new judge after the Arkansas Supreme Court removed Barbara Elmore for constitutional violations—the second time in seven months. Spencer faces second-degree murder for killing Michael Fosler, the man out on bond for allegedly raping his 14-year-old daughter. The defense is arguing he saved his child. The prosecution has prior statements suggesting premeditation. And now a retired judge from the other side of the state is inheriting the most divisive case in Arkansas.Michael McKee pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe. His lawyer is Diane Menashe—who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen ICU murders by calling one witness and watching the state's case crumble. The prosecution has ballistics, surveillance, vehicle tracking, a suppressor. Menashe doesn't present defenses. She destroys prosecutions.Bob Motta analyzes both cases: what judicial removal means for Spencer, how to defend a father who killed his daughter's alleged abuser, whether Menashe's Husel playbook works against different evidence, and what both cases tell us about murder defense strategy in high-profile trials.#BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #JudgeElmore #DianeMenashe #MurderDefense #HuselAcquittal #DefenseStrategyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Defense attorney Bob Motta joins me for a two-part legal breakdown of the biggest murder case developments this week.First: Aaron Spencer. The Arkansas Supreme Court removed Judge Barbara Elmore from his second-degree murder trial—the second time they've reversed her on constitutional grounds in seven months. Spencer killed Michael Fosler, the man out on bond for allegedly raping his 14-year-old daughter. Now a retired judge is taking over, prior rulings could be reconsidered, and the defense has to figure out how to counter Rule 404(b) statements about what Spencer said he'd do if Fosler came near his daughter again.Second: Michael McKee. He pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe. His lawyer is Diane Menashe—the same attorney who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen ICU patient murders by calling one witness. The prosecution has ballistics, surveillance, vehicle tracking, and a suppressor. Menashe doesn't present defenses. She dismantles prosecutions.Bob Motta breaks down both cases. What judicial removal means for Spencer. How defense-of-others works against premeditation evidence. Whether Menashe can replicate the Husel strategy against different evidence. Two murder trials. Two defense approaches. One expert analysis.#BobMotta #AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #JudgeBarbaraElmore #DianeMenashe #MurderTrial #SelfDefense #HuselAcquittal #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going live with defense attorney Bob Motta for comprehensive legal analysis on two of the biggest murder cases right now.The Arkansas Supreme Court just removed Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's trial—the father who killed his daughter's alleged rapist. This is the second constitutional reversal in seven months. A retired judge is taking over. Prior rulings could be reopened. And Spencer still has to beat a second-degree murder charge while the prosecution uses prior statements about killing Fosler against him.Meanwhile, Michael McKee pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe. His attorney is Diane Menashe—who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen murders by calling one witness and letting the prosecution's case collapse. The state has ballistics, surveillance, vehicle tracking, and a suppressor. But Menashe doesn't defend cases—she attacks them.Bob Motta walks us through both situations live. How rare judicial removal is. What the new judge changes for Spencer. How defense-of-others works in practice. Whether Menashe's philosophy can beat the McKee evidence. We're taking your questions and comments as we break down the legal realities behind these cases.#BobMottaLive #AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #JudgeElmore #DianeMenashe #TrueCrimeLive #MurderDefense #LegalAnalysis #HiddenKillersLiveJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
The Arkansas Supreme Court removed Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's murder case after finding constitutional violations for the second time in seven months. The May reversal called her gag order a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." The January removal came after she limited trial attendance to 55 people, banned cameras, and provided no overflow viewing. Three justices wanted her gone in May. Now the full court agreed.Aaron Spencer is the Lonoke County father who killed Michael Fosler—the man out on $5,000 bond for allegedly raping Spencer's 14-year-old daughter. Fosler faced 43 counts including sexual assault, internet stalking of a child, and child pornography possession. He should never have been near that child. Instead, she vanished from her bedroom after midnight and ended up in his vehicle. Spencer tracked them, rammed Fosler's truck off the road, and a confrontation ended in Fosler's death.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to explain what it takes for a state supreme court to remove a sitting judge, what the Writ of Certiorari means for prior rulings, and why Judge Elmore's history with Fosler's original case matters. We examine the retired judge now taking over, the fourteen legislators who raised fair trial concerns, and what the defense should be pushing for with fresh judicial eyes on this case.#AaronSpencer #JudgeElmore #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #ArkansasSupremeCourt #MichaelFosler #LononkeCounty #JudicialRemoval #FairTrial #DefenseOfOthersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Michael McKee hired the attorney who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen murders. Diane Menashe called one witness in that trial. Husel walked on all fourteen counts. Now she's representing another doctor charged with murder—and the parallels are striking. Overwhelming evidence. Medical professional defendant. High-profile case. And a defense attorney who doesn't build cases—she dismantles prosecutions.McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe. Police have ballistics linking a firearm from McKee's Chicago condo to shell casings at the crime scene. Vehicle tracking from Columbus back to Illinois. Surveillance footage allegedly showing McKee behind the Tepe home. A suppressor specification. No signs of forced entry. Family members say McKee was emotionally abusive and threatened Monique's life—but there's nothing in the official record for eight years between the divorce and the murders.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to analyze Menashe's likely approach, how she could attack the ballistics evidence, and whether the eight-year gap creates reasonable doubt about motive. We examine what the no-forced-entry detail could mean for an alternative theory, how the suppressor specification affects the premeditation argument, and what it means that the lead prosecutor is trying her first felony case against a 27-year defense veteran.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TrueCrimeToday #DianeMenashe #BobMotta #DrWilliamHusel #AggravatedMurder #FranklinCounty #ColumbusOhioJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Aaron Spencer killed Michael Fosler. That's not in dispute. The question is whether it was murder or the lawful defense of a child. Spencer faces second-degree murder—purposeful killing without premeditation under Arkansas law. His defense is that he saved his 14-year-old daughter from a man charged with raping her, a man out on bond with 43 counts pending, a man who had no legal reason to be anywhere near that child.The prosecution has ammunition. Rule 404(b) evidence shows Spencer allegedly made statements three months before the shooting about what he'd do if Fosler came near his daughter again. That's their premeditation angle. The defense has to counter that while arguing Spencer acted reasonably when he found his missing daughter in her alleged rapist's vehicle at 1 a.m.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to break down how defense-of-others claims work in practice, what the jury needs to hear, and whether "you should have called 911" is a viable prosecution argument when a child is in immediate danger. We examine how to use Fosler's criminal history without creating a vigilante narrative, how Spencer's prior statements can be contextualized, and what the political elements—Spencer running for sheriff against someone who worked with the removed judge—mean for trial strategy.#AaronSpencer #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #SelfDefense #DefenseOfOthers #SecondDegreeMurder #MichaelFosler #Rule404b #LononkeCounty #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Michael McKee is now represented by the attorney who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen murder charges by calling one witness. Diane Menashe doesn't put on defenses. She tears apart prosecutions. She's said publicly that once defense attorneys start presenting evidence, they assume the burden of proving their client innocent—so she avoids it. She lets the state's case fall on its own weight.McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe. The prosecution has ballistics through NIBIN linking a firearm from McKee's Chicago condo to shell casings at the crime scene. They have vehicle tracking data. Surveillance footage allegedly placing McKee in the alley behind the Tepe home. A suppressor specification carrying six additional years. No forced entry. And an eight-year gap between the divorce and the murders with no documented incidents between McKee and Monique.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins me to analyze how Menashe might attack each piece of evidence, whether the no-forced-entry problem actually helps the defense, and what the eight-year gap between divorce and murder means for both sides. We examine the prosecution's inexperience—Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor is trying her first felony case ever—and whether that creates openings for a 27-year defense veteran. This is how the McKee-Tepe case is going to be fought.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #BobMotta #HuselAcquittal #AggravatedMurder #ColumbusOhio #NIBIN #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Judge Barbara Elmore is off the Aaron Spencer case. The Arkansas Supreme Court removed her after finding her courtroom restrictions created constitutional problems for a second time in seven months. The first reversal came in May 2025 when the high court called her gag order a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." The second came now—after she limited the trial to 55 people, banned cameras, and refused overflow accommodations. Three justices have wanted her gone since the beginning. The majority finally agreed.Aaron Spencer faces second-degree murder charges for killing Michael Fosler—the man out on bond for allegedly raping Spencer's teenage daughter. The same daughter who disappeared from her bedroom after midnight and ended up in Fosler's vehicle. Spencer tracked them down, rammed the truck, and a confrontation ended with Fosler dead. Now a retired judge named Ralph Wilson is taking over, and the Supreme Court has granted a Writ of Certiorari to review prior rulings.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what this judicial removal means, how rare it is for a state supreme court to take this step, and what changes when a new judge inherits a case this complicated. We examine Elmore's connection to Fosler's original sex crimes case, the letter fourteen Republican legislators sent to the Judicial Discipline Commission, and whether prior rulings could be reversed. This is the legal reality behind Arkansas's most divisive case.#AaronSpencer #JudgeBarbaraElmore #ArkansasSupremeCourt #BobMotta #MichaelFosler #JudicialRemoval #LononkeCounty #FairTrial #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Aaron Spencer faces second-degree murder for killing Michael Fosler. The prosecution says it was purposeful killing. The defense says it was a father protecting his 14-year-old daughter from the man charged with raping her—a man out on $5,000 bond with 43 counts pending against him. Fosler should never have been free. He definitely should never have been with that child in his vehicle at 1 a.m. after she vanished from her bedroom.Spencer rammed Fosler's truck off the road. He says Fosler lunged at him with something in his hand. A confrontation followed. Fosler died. Now the prosecution has Rule 404(b) evidence—statements Spencer allegedly made three months earlier about what he'd do if Fosler came near his daughter again. That's their premeditation play. The defense has to counter it while arguing Spencer acted in lawful defense of his child.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the legal framework for defense-of-others in Arkansas, what Spencer's legal team needs to prove, and how they neutralize prior statements that suggest planning. We examine how to use Fosler's extensive criminal history without making it look like vigilante justice, whether "you should have called 911" holds up when a child is in immediate danger, and what the political complications mean for jury selection. Spencer is running for sheriff. His opponent worked with the removed judge. This case has layers.#AaronSpencer #MurderDefense #BobMotta #SelfDefense #DefenseOfOthers #MichaelFosler #Rule404b #LononkeCounty #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going live with defense attorney Bob Motta to break down Michael McKee's defense strategy after his not guilty plea to four counts of aggravated murder. McKee is now represented by Diane Menashe—the Columbus defense attorney who got Dr. William Husel acquitted of fourteen murder charges in 2022 by calling one witness and letting the prosecution's case collapse.The evidence against McKee appears substantial. Ballistics matching a weapon from his Chicago condo to shell casings at the scene. Vehicle tracking. Surveillance footage. A suppressor. No forced entry. Eight years between the divorce from Monique Tepe and her murder alongside her husband Spencer Tepe. But Menashe doesn't build defenses—she destroys prosecutions. And she's facing a Franklin County team where the lead prosecutor is trying her first felony case ever.Bob Motta walks us through how Menashe might attack each piece of evidence, whether NIBIN ballistics matching holds up to cross-examination, and what the no-forced-entry detail could mean for an alternative theory of the case. We'll discuss whether the eight-year gap helps the defense argue this wasn't an obsessed ex-husband, and what the suppressor specification signals about premeditation. We're taking your questions live.#MichaelMcKeeLive #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #BobMotta #HuselDefense #AggravatedMurder #FranklinCounty #TrueCrimeLive #HiddenKillersLiveJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going live with defense attorney Bob Motta to examine the actual murder case against Aaron Spencer. Forget the judicial removal for a moment. Spencer still faces second-degree murder for killing Michael Fosler—the man out on bond for allegedly raping Spencer's teenage daughter. The question is whether he can prove he acted in lawful defense of his child.Spencer says Fosler lunged at him with something in his hand after Spencer rammed his truck off the road at 1 a.m. His daughter was inside that vehicle—missing from her bedroom, now with the man who allegedly assaulted her. The prosecution has Rule 404(b) evidence: statements Spencer allegedly made three months earlier about killing Fosler if he came near his daughter again. That's the premeditation they're pushing.Bob Motta walks us through what second-degree murder requires under Arkansas law, how strong the charge is given the circumstances, and what the defense needs to establish for self-defense or defense-of-others to succeed. We'll discuss how to counter prior statements, use Fosler's 43-count criminal history effectively, and address the prosecution's claim that Spencer should have just called police. We're taking your questions and comments live as we break down one of the most consequential defense-of-others cases in recent memory.#AaronSpencerLive #MurderDefense #BobMotta #SelfDefense #DefenseOfOthers #Rule404b #MichaelFosler #LononkeCounty #TrueCrimeLive #HiddenKillersLiveJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going live with defense attorney Bob Motta to break down the Arkansas Supreme Court's decision to remove Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's murder trial. This is the second time the high court has reversed Elmore on constitutional grounds in seven months. The first time, they called her gag order a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." This time, they didn't just reverse her—they pulled her off the case entirely.Aaron Spencer is charged with second-degree murder for killing Michael Fosler, the man who was out on bond for allegedly sexually assaulting Spencer's 14-year-old daughter. Fosler had 43 counts pending against him including rape, internet stalking of a child, and possession of child pornography. He had no business being anywhere near that child—yet she ended up in his vehicle after midnight, missing from her bedroom. Spencer found them, rammed the truck, and a confrontation followed.Now retired Judge Ralph Wilson is taking over, and the Supreme Court has opened the door to reviewing prior rulings through a Writ of Certiorari. Bob Motta walks us through what it takes for a state's highest court to remove a sitting judge, what three dissenting justices saw that the majority initially missed, and what the Spencer defense team should be asking for now. We'll take your questions and comments live. This is expert legal analysis in real time.#AaronSpencerLive #JudgeElmore #BobMotta #ArkansasSupremeCourt #MichaelFosler #JudicialRemoval #TrueCrimeLive #LononkeCounty #HiddenKillersLive #FairTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
What does the law say about killing someone who was out on bond for alleged crimes against your child and then allegedly kidnapped her? What does it say about using a silencer to allegedly murder your ex-wife years after divorce? Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down two cases that will test justification, premeditation, and reasonable doubt.Aaron Spencer is one week from trial. His daughter was 13 when Michael Fosler allegedly victimized her. Fosler faced 43 felony charges. He posted bond. Three months later, Spencer found his daughter in Fosler's truck at 1 AM and killed him with 16 shots. Prosecutors have body cam footage from months earlier where Spencer allegedly talked about handling things himself. The defense has Arkansas law — which puts the burden on prosecutors to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt.Dr. Michael McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder after prosecutors say he used a suppressor to kill Monique and Spencer Tepe while their children slept nearby. The indictment suggests premeditation down to the equipment. But there's no forced entry. No disclosed motive. No documented conflict in the years since the divorce. McKee gave an alibi that fell apart and only invoked silence after arrest.Motta analyzes both: the evidence, the legal standards, and what it takes to win when prosecutors have surveillance footage in one case and an alleged suppressor in the other. Two trials. Two juries. Two different questions about when killing is legally justified — and when reasonable doubt exists.#AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MichaelFosler #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #MurderTrial #DefenseStrategy #JustificationJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
One man fired 16 shots at the person accused of victimizing his 13-year-old daughter. The other allegedly used a silencer to make sure no one heard the shots that killed his ex-wife. Both are charged with murder. Both have defense attorneys preparing for trial. And both cases raise fundamental questions about what the law allows.Aaron Spencer found his daughter in Michael Fosler's truck at 1 AM — three months after Fosler posted bond on 43 felony charges for alleged crimes against her. Spencer rammed the truck and killed Fosler. Prosecutors say he'd been planning it for months. The defense says a man out on bond allegedly violated a no-contact order and took a child victim in the middle of the night. Under Arkansas law, justification is something the prosecution must disprove beyond a reasonable doubt.Dr. Michael McKee allegedly killed his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer while their children slept down the hall. The indictment says he used a suppressor. But prosecutors still haven't explained how he entered the home with no forced entry. There's no disclosed motive. No documented conflict in the years since the divorce. McKee gave police an alibi that didn't hold up — he only invoked silence after the arrest.Defense attorney Bob Motta analyzes both cases: the prosecution's evidence, the defense strategies, and what each jury will have to decide. For Spencer, it's whether prosecutors can disprove justification. For McKee, it's whether the gaps in the case create reasonable doubt against evidence that includes an alleged suppressor.#AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MichaelFosler #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #DefenseStrategy #MurderTrial #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Tonight we break down two murder cases with very different facts — and one defense attorney explaining what it takes to win each.Aaron Spencer goes to trial in one week for killing Michael Fosler. Fosler was 67 years old, facing 43 felony charges for alleged crimes against Spencer's 13-year-old daughter. He posted bond. Got a no-contact order. Three months later, Spencer found his daughter in Fosler's truck at 1 AM and killed him with 16 shots. Prosecutors say it was premeditation — they have body cam footage from months earlier where Spencer allegedly talked about handling things himself. The defense says Arkansas law puts the burden on prosecutors to disprove justification.Dr. Michael McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Monique and Spencer Tepe. The indictment alleges he used a suppressor — a silencer — suggesting premeditation down to the equipment. But prosecutors haven't explained how McKee entered the home with no forced entry. There's no disclosed motive. McKee gave an alibi before arrest that didn't hold up.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins us live to analyze both cases. The evidence. The legal standards. The defense strategies. And the question that hangs over both trials: what does the law say about when you have the right to kill — and what does the defense have to prove to create reasonable doubt?Two trials. Two juries. Two men whose futures depend on how well their attorneys exploit the gaps in the prosecution's case.#AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #MichaelFosler #BobMotta #HiddenKillersLive #MurderTrial #DefenseStrategy #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
The suppressor allegation changes everything in the McKee case. Prosecutors allege Dr. Michael McKee used a firearm equipped with a silencer to kill Monique and Spencer Tepe while their young children slept in another room. That's not impulsive violence. That's allegedly planning the murders down to making sure no one would hear the shots.The Franklin County grand jury handed down five counts: four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary. Under Ohio law, proving "prior calculation and design" is required for aggravated murder. The suppressor allegation gives prosecutors a powerful tool to establish premeditation.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the indictment. Why four counts for two victims? What does the aggravated burglary charge tell us about entry when there's no forced entry documented? And how definitive is the NIBIN ballistics match that's still being called "preliminary"?McKee gave police an alibi before his arrest. It didn't hold up. He only invoked his right to remain silent after the cuffs went on. Those pre-arrest statements could be devastating at trial — but Motta explains what the defense would need to argue for suppression.McKee is 39 years old. A vascular surgeon. No criminal record. No malpractice. His neighbors called him friendly and normal. He's facing a minimum of life with parole after 32 years. Prosecutors have not filed capital specifications — they're not seeking the death penalty. Is that strategy, or does it signal weakness? Motta analyzes.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #Suppressor #AggravatedMurder #OhioIndictment #NIBINMatchJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
If you're defending Michael McKee, you don't need to prove he didn't do it. You need to create reasonable doubt. And this case has gaps.How did McKee allegedly enter the Tepe home with no forced entry? Prosecutors haven't said. The aggravated burglary charge suggests they have a theory, but it hasn't been disclosed publicly. That's an opening for the defense.There's no motive on the record. McKee and Monique divorced years ago. Police confirmed there were no prior reports from the Tepe address about McKee — no restraining orders, no 911 calls, no documented conflict. The state hasn't explained why a 39-year-old surgeon with no criminal record would allegedly do this now.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the defense's options. McKee is intelligent, educated, trained in precision. If he allegedly planned a premeditated murder complete with a suppressor, why would he keep the murder weapon in his own apartment? The prosecution's theory and McKee's professional profile don't easily fit together.McKee "disappeared" in the months before the murders. Process servers couldn't find him. A colleague said he just vanished. Prosecutors will likely call that consciousness of guilt. The defense might call it a man between jobs with no fixed address.Both victims were shot multiple times. Does that help the defense argue this looks more like rage than calculation — even with the suppressor allegation? Motta analyzes the strategies available and gives his prediction: conviction, acquittal, or hung jury.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #DefenseStrategy #NoForcedEntry #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefenseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Deputy Prosecutor John Huggins put it bluntly: Aaron Spencer's "understandable rage did not give him the legal right to kill Fosler." That's the prosecution's strategy — concede the moral argument, win the legal one. But can it work with an Arkansas jury?Michael Fosler was 67 years old, facing 43 felony charges for alleged crimes against Spencer's 13-year-old daughter. He posted bond. Got a no-contact order. Three months later, Spencer's daughter was missing from her bed at 1 AM — and Spencer found her in Fosler's truck heading toward Fosler's house. Spencer rammed the truck and fired 16 shots. Fifteen hit Fosler.Now Spencer is charged with second-degree murder. His trial starts in one week. Prosecutors just won a ruling to introduce body cam footage from three months before the shooting, where Spencer allegedly looked for Fosler's address and made implicit comments about taking the law into his own hands. They're arguing premeditation.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the legal reality. Under Arkansas law, justification for defense of another person is an element the prosecution must disprove beyond a reasonable doubt. Given Fosler's pending charges, the alleged bond violation, and the fact that Spencer's daughter was physically in that truck — the defense doesn't need jury nullification. They have statute.And then there's the missing evidence. The dashcam footage from Fosler's truck never made it into the case. The SD card sat in a detective's office for over a year. The defense is arguing spoliation. That footage could have shown exactly what happened before Spencer pulled the trigger.#AaronSpencer #MichaelFosler #TrueCrimeToday #ArkansasMurder #BobMotta #DefenseOfOthers #Premeditation #MissingEvidence #JustificationDefense #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
The prosecution has surveillance footage. A ballistics match. An alleged suppressor. But if you're defending Michael McKee, the holes in this case are where you live.How did McKee allegedly enter the Tepe home with no forced entry? Prosecutors haven't explained it publicly. The aggravated burglary charge suggests they have a theory — but until they disclose it, that's a gap the defense can exploit.There's no disclosed motive. McKee and Monique divorced years ago. Police confirmed there were no prior reports from the Tepe address about McKee — no 911 calls, no restraining orders, no documented threats. No ongoing disputes. So why would a surgeon with everything to lose allegedly drive to Ohio and kill two people?Defense attorney Bob Motta analyzes the defense's options. McKee is a vascular surgeon. Intelligent. Educated. Trained in precision. The prosecution's theory requires him to allegedly commit premeditated murder, use a suppressor — and then keep the murder weapon in his own apartment. How does the defense reconcile that with the profile of a careful, calculating person?McKee "disappeared" in the months before the murders. Process servers couldn't find him. A colleague said he just vanished. The prosecution might call that consciousness of guilt. The defense might call it a man moving between jobs.Both Spencer and Monique were shot multiple times. Does the manner of the killings help or hurt the defense? Could they argue this looks more like rage than premeditation — even with the suppressor allegation? Motta breaks down the strategies available and what it would take for McKee to walk.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #DefenseStrategy #NoForcedEntry #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefenseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
The indictment against Dr. Michael McKee tells a story of alleged premeditation. Four counts of aggravated murder. One count of aggravated burglary. And the allegation that McKee used a firearm equipped with a suppressor to kill Monique and Spencer Tepe.A silencer changes this case. It's not impulsive. It's not rage. It's allegedly making sure no one would hear the shots while the victims' young children slept in another room.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what this indictment reveals — and what it doesn't. Under Ohio law, "prior calculation and design" is an element prosecutors must prove for aggravated murder. The suppressor allegation helps them do that. But why four counts for two victims? Motta explains how Ohio structures murder charges and what each count requires.The aggravated burglary charge is significant. It doesn't necessarily mean theft — it suggests prosecutors have a theory about how McKee entered the home. Because there's still no public explanation for how he allegedly got inside with no forced entry.The NIBIN ballistics match linking a firearm from McKee's Chicago apartment to shell casings at the scene is still being called "preliminary." McKee gave police an alibi before his arrest. It didn't hold up. He only invoked his right to remain silent after the cuffs went on.Prosecutors have not filed capital specifications. They're not seeking the death penalty — at least not yet. Motta analyzes what that decision tells us: is it strategic, or does it suggest they see weaknesses in their case?#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #Suppressor #AggravatedMurder #OhioLaw #ProsecutionCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Michael Fosler was 67 years old. He was facing 43 felony charges including crimes against a minor and child exploitation. He posted $50,000 bond and got a no-contact order. Three months later, just after 1 AM, the 13-year-old victim was missing from her bed — and her father found her in Fosler's truck, heading toward Fosler's house.Aaron Spencer rammed the truck into a ditch. Fired 16 shots. Fifteen hit Fosler. Then Spencer called 911: "Michael Fosler is f---ing dead on the side of the road for trying to kidnap my daughter."Now Spencer faces second-degree murder charges. His trial begins in one week. And prosecutors just won a ruling that could change everything — they can introduce body cam footage from three months before the shooting where Spencer allegedly looked for Fosler's address and made statements about taking matters into his own hands.Defense attorney Bob Motta analyzes what the prosecution has to prove and why Arkansas law may favor Spencer's defense. Under state statute, justification for defense of another person is an element the prosecution must disprove beyond a reasonable doubt. A man facing charges for crimes against a child, out on bond, allegedly violated a no-contact order and had the victim physically in his vehicle in the middle of the night.The dashcam footage from Fosler's truck never made it into evidence. The SD card sat in a detective's office for over a year. The defense is arguing spoliation — that potentially exculpatory evidence was lost. Deputy Prosecutor John Huggins wrote that Spencer's "understandable rage did not give him the legal right to kill Fosler." The prosecution is conceding the moral argument while trying to win the legal one.#AaronSpencer #MichaelFosler #ArkansasTrial #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #DefenseOfOthers #Spoliation #JustificationDefense #ChildExploitation #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
The prosecution has surveillance footage, a ballistics match, and an alleged suppressor. But tonight we're looking at the McKee case from the defense's perspective — because every case has holes, and this one has several.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins us live to analyze the gaps prosecutors still haven't filled. How did McKee allegedly enter the Tepe home with no forced entry? No broken windows. No kicked-in doors. The aggravated burglary charge suggests they have a theory — but what is it?There's no disclosed motive. No prior reports from the Tepe address about McKee. No restraining orders. No 911 calls. No documented conflict in the years since the divorce. If you're the defense, do you lean into that — argue the state can't explain why your client would do this?McKee is a surgeon. Intelligent. Educated. His career is built on precision. The prosecution's theory requires him to allegedly drive to Ohio, use a suppressor to commit murder — and then keep the murder weapon in his apartment. How does a defense team reconcile that with the profile of someone who plans meticulously?McKee "disappeared" before the murders. Process servers couldn't find him. A colleague said he vanished. Is that consciousness of guilt — or a man between jobs?The suppressor allegation — was it legally owned or illegally obtained? That question matters. Both victims were shot multiple times. Does that help or hurt the defense?Motta predicts where this case goes: conviction, acquittal, or hung jury — and what McKee's team needs to do to create reasonable doubt.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #BobMotta #HiddenKillersLive #TepeMurders #DefenseStrategy #NoForcedEntry #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefenseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
A five-count indictment. Four counts of aggravated murder. One count of aggravated burglary. And the allegation that Dr. Michael McKee used a firearm equipped with a suppressor to kill his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer.Tonight, defense attorney Bob Motta joins us live to analyze the prosecution's case. What does the suppressor allegation mean for proving "prior calculation and design" under Ohio law? Why four aggravated murder counts for two victims? And what does the aggravated burglary charge tell us about how prosecutors believe McKee entered the home — when there's still no explanation for how he got inside with no forced entry?The NIBIN ballistics match is being called "preliminary." McKee gave police an alibi before his arrest that didn't hold up. He only invoked silence after the cuffs went on. Motta explains how damaging those pre-arrest statements could be at trial — and whether the defense has any chance of getting them suppressed.McKee is a 39-year-old vascular surgeon with no criminal record, no malpractice, no disciplinary actions. His neighbors described him as friendly, normal — the guy who chatted at the pool. Now he's facing a minimum of life with parole after 32 years.Prosecutors have not filed capital specifications. They're not seeking the death penalty. At least not yet. We break down what that tells us — and what evidence the prosecution still needs to lock this case down.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #BobMotta #HiddenKillersLive #TepeMurders #Suppressor #AggravatedMurder #OhioIndictment #ProsecutionEvidenceJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Aaron Spencer's murder trial starts in one week. Tonight, defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the evidence, the legal arguments, and the question prosecutors will have to answer: did a father have the legal right to kill a man who allegedly violated a no-contact order and took his 13-year-old daughter in the middle of the night?Michael Fosler was facing 43 felony charges including crimes against a minor and child exploitation for what he allegedly did to Spencer's daughter. He posted $50,000 bond. Three months later, at 1 AM, that same child was missing from her bed — and Spencer found her in Fosler's truck. He rammed the truck, fired 16 rounds, and called 911.Prosecutors just won a ruling to introduce body cam footage from three months before the shooting. They say Spencer went looking for Fosler's address and made statements about handling things himself. The state's theory: this was premeditated killing, not protection.But here's what the prosecution has to overcome. Under Arkansas law, justification is something they must disprove beyond a reasonable doubt. And there's a problem they don't want to talk about — the dashcam footage from Fosler's truck is gone. The SD card sat in a detective's office for over a year and never made it into evidence.Over 361,000 people have signed petitions supporting Spencer. He's running for sheriff while awaiting trial. Some have raised jury nullification as a possibility. But Motta explains why the defense doesn't need it — Arkansas statute provides a legitimate path to acquittal.#AaronSpencer #MichaelFosler #HiddenKillersLive #BobMotta #ArkansasLaw #DefenseOfOthers #MurderTrial #ChildProtection #Spoliation #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Habib Balian prosecuted the Menendez brothers. He prosecuted Robert Durst. Now he has Nick Reiner — a man who reportedly admits killing his parents but allegedly doesn't understand why he's in jail.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to map out the legal road ahead. Nick is reportedly not competent to stand trial. His medication was changed one month before the murders. Alan Jackson withdrew from the case under circumstances he's "legally prohibited" from explaining. Nick is now represented by a public defender.But the insanity defense in California doesn't work the way most people think. You don't have to prove the defendant didn't know right from wrong — only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. TMZ's documentary cited the David Carmichael case, where a father who methodically planned his son's killing was found not criminally responsible because he was operating under a psychotic delusion.According to TMZ sources, Nick believes his incarceration is part of a conspiracy against him. And in a way, he's right — just not how he thinks. For 32 years, every system Nick touched conspired to protect him from consequences. The money. The rehabs. The family. More than 18 treatment facilities that cashed checks and released him after 30 days.A family associate told the New York Times that the Reiners had "grown used to" Nick's behavior. Now that conspiracy has flipped. Everyone is conspiring to do what nobody could do before: hold Nick Reiner accountable.Bob Motta examines what the defense must prove, whether victim family sentiment affects prosecution, and what the timeline looks like for a case that may not see trial for years.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #HabibBalian #BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #MenendezBrothers #TrueCrime #ReinerCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
California's insanity standard is different from what most people assume. You don't have to prove the defendant didn't know right from wrong. You only have to prove he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. TMZ's documentary cited the David Carmichael case — a father who methodically planned his son's killing but was found not criminally responsible because he was operating under a psychotic delusion. Could that same legal standard apply to Nick Reiner? Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers to map out the road ahead. Nick is reportedly not competent to stand trial. His medication for schizoaffective disorder was changed approximately one month before the murders because he complained about weight gain. Sources say the medication still isn't working properly in jail. But here's the part that should stop everyone cold: Nick reportedly admits to killing his parents Rob and Michele Reiner. He's telling people he did it. But he allegedly doesn't understand why he's in jail. He believes his incarceration is part of a conspiracy against him.For 32 years, every system Nick touched conspired to protect him from consequences. More than 18 rehab facilities cashed checks and released him after 30 days. His family spent a fortune trying to save him. A family associate told the New York Times that the Reiners had "grown used to" his behavior.Now the conspiracy has flipped. Prosecutor Habib Balian — the man who handled the Menendez brothers and Robert Durst — is on the case. A new DA campaigned on being tough on crime. Nick's siblings reportedly oppose the death penalty, but that may not matter.Bob Motta breaks down the critical distinction between competency and legal insanity, what Alan Jackson's withdrawal signals, and whether Nick Reiner can beat the system one more time.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #InsanityDefense #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #CaliforniaLaw #Schizoaffective #TrueCrime #ReinerCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
One month before Rob and Michele Reiner were killed, Nick's schizoaffective medication was changed. He complained about weight gain. The medication was adjusted. Sources say it still isn't working properly in jail.Defense attorney Bob Motta believes that medication change could become the centerpiece of Nick Reiner's defense — and it raises questions about who else might face liability.Nick reportedly admits to killing his parents. He's telling people he did it. But according to TMZ sources, he doesn't understand why he's in jail. He believes his incarceration is part of a conspiracy against him.Here's the thing: there was a conspiracy. For 32 years, every system Nick touched conspired to protect him from consequences. More than 18 treatment facilities cashed checks and released him after 30 days. His family spent a fortune. A family associate told the New York Times that the Reiners had "grown used to" his behavior. His father getting into a loud argument with him at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party didn't even register as unusual anymore.Now the conspiracy has flipped.Bob Motta breaks down California's insanity standard — which doesn't require proving Nick didn't know right from wrong, only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. He examines the David Carmichael precedent, where a father who methodically planned his son's killing was found not criminally responsible due to psychotic delusion.With Alan Jackson out, Nick is represented by a public defender. Prosecutor Habib Balian — Menendez brothers, Robert Durst — is on the case. Nick's siblings reportedly oppose the death penalty. The murder weapon hasn't been found. This case may not see trial for years.The question is whether the system finally works — or whether Nick finds a way to beat it one more time.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #BobMotta #InsanityDefense #MedicationChange #HiddenKillers #Schizoaffective #TrueCrime #ReinerCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
True Crime Today brings you the defense perspective on two of the biggest murder trials happening right now. Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down Nick Reiner's insanity defense strategy and exposes where the Brendan Banfield prosecution is bleeding.Nick Reiner's attorney quit. Alan Jackson walked out with 10 outstanding subpoenas, citing disagreements with his client. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and facing a prosecutor who handled the Menendez resentencing and Robert Durst case. Bob explains what Jackson's exit signals about the defense's internal conflicts and how the defense rebuilds from here. California's insanity standard doesn't require proving Nick didn't know right from wrong — only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. The Carmichael precedent could be key. But Nick's post-offense behavior creates problems. Checking into a hotel. Buying a drink at a gas station. Navigating LA for 24 hours. Bob explains how prosecutors will use that functionality against any insanity claim.Then we turn to Brendan Banfield. The prosecution's own forensics expert contradicted their catfishing theory — and was transferred out of the unit. The lead detective was reassigned. The prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m. Twelve homicide detectives had 24 different theories before the au pair flipped. Bob explains how you build reasonable doubt from that wreckage.Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's entire case. She lied for a year. Then she got a deal: manslaughter, time served, go home to Brazil. Her sentencing is after Banfield's trial to ensure cooperation. From jail, she wrote she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan. Bob explains how to destroy her credibility and what the prosecution has left if she falls apart.#TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #NickReiner #BrendanBanfield #DefenseAttorney #InsanityDefense #ReasonableDoubt #StarWitness #CrossExamination #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Two murder cases. Two very different defense strategies. One attorney who knows how to find the cracks.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers for a comprehensive breakdown of Nick Reiner's path to avoiding prison and the prosecution's mounting problems in the Brendan Banfield case. This is the defense perspective on two of the biggest trials in true crime right now.Alan Jackson walked out of the Nick Reiner case with 10 outstanding subpoenas. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and facing a prosecutor who handled the Menendez resentencing and Robert Durst case. Bob breaks down the critical distinction between competency to stand trial and legal insanity at the time of the crime. California's standard doesn't require proving Nick didn't know right from wrong — only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. The Carmichael precedent could be key. But Nick's post-offense behavior — checking into a hotel, buying a drink at a gas station, navigating LA for 24 hours — creates problems. Bob explains how prosecutors will use that functionality against any insanity claim and what the defense must do to counter it.Then we turn to Brendan Banfield, where the prosecution's case is bleeding from multiple wounds. Their own forensics expert contradicted their catfishing theory and was transferred. The lead detective was reassigned. The original prosecutor was removed. Twelve homicide detectives had 24 different theories before the au pair flipped. Bob explains how you build reasonable doubt from investigative chaos — and how you make a jury see it.The star witness is the prosecution's entire case. Juliana Peres Magalhaes spent a year telling police the same story Brendan did. Then she got a deal: manslaughter, time served, deportation to Brazil. Her sentencing is after Banfield's trial to keep her cooperating. From jail, she wrote that she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan. Bob explains how you frame a year-long lie for the jury, how you weaponize that letter on cross, and what happens if she falls apart on the stand.#HiddenKillers #BobMotta #NickReiner #BrendanBanfield #DefenseAttorney #InsanityDefense #ReasonableDoubt #StarWitness #CrossExamination #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going LIVE with defense attorney Bob Motta to break down two of the biggest murder cases in true crime — Nick Reiner and Brendan Banfield. Where does reasonable doubt live? How do you win an insanity defense? How do you destroy a star witness? Bob answers all of it.In the Nick Reiner case, celebrity attorney Alan Jackson walked out with 10 outstanding subpoenas. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and believed to be delusional. Bob explains the difference between competency and insanity, what California's "nature and quality" standard requires, and how the medication change one month before the murders could become the defense's centerpiece. But Nick's post-offense behavior — checking into a hotel, navigating LA for 24 hours — creates problems prosecutors will exploit. Bob breaks down what the defense must prove and what the timeline looks like for a case that may not see trial for years.Then we pivot to Brendan Banfield, where Bob dismantles the prosecution from the ground up. Their own digital forensics expert contradicted their theory — and was transferred. The lead detective was reassigned. The prosecutor was removed. Twelve homicide detectives had 24 different theories until Juliana gave her proffer after a year in jail. Bob explains how you weave investigative chaos into reasonable doubt.Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's entire case. She spent a year telling police the same story Brendan did. Then she flipped for a deal: manslaughter, time served, go home to Brazil. From jail, she wrote she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan. Bob explains how to weaponize that letter and what happens if she falls apart on the stand.Drop your questions in the chat. We're taking them live.#HKLive #LIVE #BobMotta #NickReiner #BrendanBanfield #DefenseAttorney #InsanityDefense #ReasonableDoubt #StarWitness #TrueCrimeLiveJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
True Crime Today brings you the defense strategy for the most important witness in the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's case. Without her testimony, they have a forensics expert who contradicted their theory, investigators who were transferred, and 19 months of spinning theories. Defense attorney Bob Motta explains how you destroy her credibility.Juliana spent a year in jail maintaining the same story Brendan told police. Then she flipped. She pleaded to manslaughter. She gets time served. She goes home to Brazil. Her sentencing is scheduled after Banfield's trial — to ensure she continues to cooperate. From jail, she wrote to her mother that she was "heartbroken for doing this to Brendan" and that she loved him.Motta breaks down how you use that letter on cross-examination. He explains how to frame her year-long lie for the jury — is she someone who finally told the truth, or someone who changed lies when the deal was right?The prosecution reduced her charge from second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter. Motta explains how to make the jury understand the magnitude of what she received in exchange for her testimony.The prosecution is positioning Juliana as a reluctant participant. Motta dismantles that framing. He identifies the biggest mistakes defense attorneys make with cooperating witnesses — and what happens to the state's case if Juliana falls apart on the stand.#BrendanBanfield #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #StarWitness #CrossExamination #AuPairMurder #PleaDeal #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the legal crisis facing Nick Reiner after celebrity attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from the double murder case. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and facing a prosecutor who handled the Menendez resentencing and Robert Durst case.What does Alan Jackson's exit mean for the defense strategy? Sources say Jackson had 10 outstanding subpoenas when he walked away citing disagreements with his client. Bob explains what kind of client conflicts typically cause high-profile attorneys to bail—and how the defense rebuilds from here.The TMZ documentary laid out California's insanity standard: the defense doesn't need to prove Nick didn't know right from wrong, only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. The documentary cited David Carmichael, a father who methodically planned a killing while psychotic and was found not criminally responsible. Could that precedent apply here?Bob walks us through the medication change angle, the missing murder weapon, Nick's extended post-offense behavior, and the critical distinction between competency to stand trial and legal insanity at the time of the crime. With Nick's siblings reportedly opposed to the death penalty, how much influence does victim family sentiment have on prosecutorial decisions?#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #AlanJackson #DefenseAttorney #BobMotta #ReinerMurders #CaliforniaLaw #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
True Crime Today brings you the defense perspective on the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down where the prosecution's case is weakest — and how reasonable doubt gets built from the wreckage of a flawed investigation.Officer Brendan Miller — the department's digital forensics expert — analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine Banfield controlled the FetLife account. Not her husband. His findings were peer-reviewed by the University of Alabama and confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the unit. The lead detective who questioned the catfishing theory was reassigned. Prosecutor Eric Clingan was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m.Clingan admitted on the record that 12 homicide detectives had 24 different theories before the au pair gave her proffer. Motta explains exactly how damaging that admission is — and how the defense exploits it in front of a jury.The prosecution treats the framed photo of Brendan and Juliana as a smoking gun. They're using Banfield's IRS background to argue he knew how to stage a crime scene. Motta explains how defense attorneys flip every piece of that narrative.It took 19 months to charge Brendan Banfield. Investigators were transferred. Evidence was excluded. Theories kept changing. Motta identifies where reasonable doubt lives in this case — and what the jury should be thinking about when they walk into deliberations.#BrendanBanfield #BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #DefenseAttorney #ChristineBanfield #AuPairMurder #ReasonableDoubt #MurderTrial #CriminalDefense #TrueCrimeNewsJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
If you're defending Brendan Banfield, where do you attack first? Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers to identify exactly where the prosecution's case falls apart — and how reasonable doubt gets built in a courtroom.The state's own digital forensics expert concluded their catfishing theory was wrong. Officer Brendan Miller found Christine Banfield controlled the FetLife account, not her husband. His work was peer-reviewed by the University of Alabama and confirmed. Then he was transferred. Deputy Chief Brusch allegedly told him he'd never work another digital forensics case. The lead detective was reassigned. The original prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m.Motta explains how you weave all of that into a narrative of a flawed investigation that a jury can see and understand. Twelve homicide detectives. Twenty-four different theories. No consensus until the au pair gave her proffer after a year in jail.The prosecution is using Banfield's IRS criminal investigator background against him — arguing he knew how to stage a crime scene. Motta explains how the defense flips that narrative and makes it work for Banfield instead.The framed photo of Brendan and Juliana found eight months after the murders looks damning. Motta breaks down how you neutralize evidence the prosecution treats as a smoking gun.Judge Azcarate excluded the child's forensic interview. What does it mean when testimony from someone present during the crime gets blocked?This is what the defense sees when they look at this case.#BrendanBanfield #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #DefenseAttorney #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #AuPairMurder #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefense #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the only reason the prosecution has a case against Brendan Banfield. She's also a woman who lied for a year, flipped when she got a deal, and wrote from jail that she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to the man she says she helped commit murder.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers to explain how you tear apart a star witness whose credibility is already in shreds.Juliana's sentencing is scheduled after Banfield's trial — to ensure she continues to cooperate. She pleaded to manslaughter. She gets time served. She gets deported to Brazil. Motta explains how you make a jury understand what she bought with her testimony and what it cost her to say the words prosecutors needed to hear.The prosecution is framing Juliana as a reluctant participant who was told it was "too late to back out." Motta dismantles that narrative and explains what the defense should be highlighting instead.Juliana maintained the home invasion story for a full year before changing it. How do you frame that for jurors? Is she a liar who finally told the truth — or a liar who upgraded to a better lie when the price was right?Motta identifies the biggest mistakes defense attorneys make when cross-examining cooperating witnesses — and what Banfield's team needs to avoid. He explains how to weaponize the jailhouse letter and what happens to the prosecution's case if Juliana falls apart on the stand.#BrendanBanfield #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #HiddenKillers #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #StarWitness #CrossExamination #AuPairMurder #PleaDeal #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Defense attorney Bob Motta reacts to Nick Reiner's reported behavior after the alleged murders of Rob and Michele Reiner—and explains why it creates serious problems for an insanity defense.Sources say Nick checked into the Pierside hotel in Santa Monica after what allegedly occurred, then spent over 24 hours navigating Los Angeles before being found near USC. He reportedly bought a drink at a gas station. The defense will argue Nick didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions due to a psychotic break triggered by a medication change. But Bob explains how prosecutors will use that extended, functional post-offense behavior to argue Nick had presence of mind—and what the defense must do to counter it.California's insanity standard is more favorable to defendants than many states, but juries are skeptical. Bob breaks down the legal burden, the Carmichael precedent, and why the next few months of psychiatric evaluation will determine whether Nick Reiner spends his life in prison or a mental health facility.This clip is from a full interview available on Hidden Killers. Subscribe for complete coverage of the Nick Reiner case and expert legal analysis.#NickReiner #RobReiner #InsanityDefense #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #DefenseAttorney #ReinerMurders #CriminalLaw #BobMotta #LegalAnalysisJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going LIVE with defense attorney Bob Motta to examine the Brendan Banfield case from the perspective prosecutors don't want you to see. Where does this case bleed? Where does reasonable doubt get built? What should the defense be hammering in that courtroom?The prosecution's own digital forensics expert contradicted their catfishing theory — and was transferred out of the unit. The lead detective who questioned the theory was reassigned. The original prosecutor was removed. Twelve homicide detectives had 24 different theories until Juliana Peres Magalhaes gave her proffer after sitting in jail for a year.Motta explains how a skilled defense attorney weaves all of this into a narrative that makes jurors question everything the state is selling. He breaks down how to neutralize the framed photo evidence, how to flip Banfield's law enforcement background from liability to asset, and what it means that Judge Azcarate excluded the child's forensic interview.The prosecution needed 19 months to charge Brendan Banfield. They've had investigators transferred, experts silenced, and prosecutors removed. Motta tells you what reasonable doubt looks like in a case with this many problems.We're taking your questions live. Drop them in the chat. If you want to understand how the defense sees this case — and what they'll be arguing in that courtroom — this is the interview to watch.#BrendanBanfield #BobMotta #HiddenKillersLive #LIVE #DefenseAttorney #AuPairMurder #ReasonableDoubt #TrueCrimeLive #MurderTrial #CriminalDefenseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers LIVE to analyze the legal strategy ahead for Nick Reiner following Alan Jackson's surprise withdrawal from the case. We're taking your questions and breaking down what the defense must prove to avoid a murder conviction.TMZ's documentary revealed critical details: Nick reportedly admits killing his parents but believes his incarceration is a conspiracy. His medication for schizoaffective disorder was changed one month before the murders after he complained about weight gain. Sources say he's currently not competent to stand trial.Bob explains the distinction between competency and insanity, what California's "nature and quality" standard actually requires, and how the Carmichael precedent could shape Nick's defense. We'll examine Alan Jackson's exit and what it signals about client-attorney conflicts, the missing murder weapon, Nick's 24-hour post-offense navigation of Los Angeles, and whether his siblings' reported opposition to the death penalty will influence the DA's decision on capital charges.Join us live with your questions. What do you think the defense strategy should be? Does the medication angle create reasonable doubt—or just an excuse? Call in and let's discuss.#NickReiner #RobReiner #LIVE #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersLive #InsanityDefense #AlanJackson #DefenseAttorney #BobMotta #ReinerCaseJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
We're going LIVE with defense attorney Bob Motta for Part 2 of our deep dive into the Brendan Banfield case. This time: how do you destroy a star witness whose freedom depends on conviction?Juliana Peres Magalhaes is the prosecution's entire case. She spent a year in jail telling police the same story Brendan did — then flipped when she got a deal that sends her home to Brazil. Her sentencing is scheduled after Banfield's trial to make sure she keeps cooperating. From jail, she wrote that she was "heartbroken" for what she was doing to Brendan and that she still loved him.Motta explains exactly how the defense should attack. How do you frame a year-long lie for the jury? How do you weaponize the jailhouse letter on cross? How do you make jurors understand that Juliana traded her testimony for a plane ticket home?The prosecution claims Juliana was reluctant and was told it was "too late to back out." Motta dismantles that framing in real time.What are the biggest mistakes defense attorneys make when cross-examining cooperating witnesses? What should Banfield's team avoid? And if Juliana falls apart on the stand, what does the prosecution have left?Drop your questions in the chat. We're taking them live. If you want to understand how a defense attorney approaches the most important witness in this trial, this is the interview.#BrendanBanfield #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #HiddenKillersLive #LIVE #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #StarWitness #CrossExamination #TrueCrimeLive #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.
True Crime Today's week in review covers the Nick Reiner case — the stunning attorney withdrawal and the years of warning signs nobody could act on.Alan Jackson walked into a Los Angeles courtroom and told the judge he had "no choice" but to withdraw from Nick Reiner's defense. He said circumstances "beyond Nick's control" forced his exit. Sources tell Deadline money is the reason. The pattern that protected Nick for seventeen years — eighteen rehab programs, seventy thousand a month in treatment, a rent-free guesthouse, a ten-thousand-dollar monthly allowance, and sources say estate money funding his defense even after his parents' deaths — appears to be over. Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene was informed last night. She met her client for thirty seconds before the hearing. Arraignment postponed to February 23rd.But we also examined what led here. This wasn't sudden. A neighbor told reporters Nick had been violent before. An LAPD insider confirmed "quite a few calls for service" to the Reiner home over the years. The night before Rob and Michele were found stabbed to death, Nick was reportedly so erratic at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party that guests were unnerved. Rob allegedly told friends that night he was terrified his own son could hurt him.Bob Motta joined us to break down what law enforcement officers see in the years before tragedies like this — and what California's mental health laws actually allow them to do. The LPS Act requires imminent danger for involuntary commitment. Not probable. Not deteriorating. Imminent. Rob and Michele were legally trapped. For the first time in his life, Nick faces consequences without unlimited resources behind him.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #TrueCrimeToday #AlanJackson #BobMotta #PublicDefender #LPSAct #MentalHealthCrisis #WeekInReviewJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
The prosecution claimed "mountains of evidence." Then they asked for seven more months.The Sarah Grace Patrick murder trial was set for January 5th, 2026. Judge Dustin Hightower pushed it to August 3rd after the state said they needed time to review a defense neuropsychologist evaluation. The defense was ready to pick a jury. The prosecution wasn't.Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, is charged as an adult with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of her mother Kristin Brock and stepfather James Brock in Carroll County, Georgia. She's been in custody since July 2025.No murder weapon has been produced. No forensic evidence linking Sarah to the killings has been publicly disclosed. No firearm was found at the scene. The state's case, as presented publicly, relies heavily on a teenager's social media behavior after her parents were killed.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what this delay tells us about where this case actually stands.#SarahGracePatrick #TrueCrimeToday #CarrollCounty #MurderTrial #KristinBrock #JamesBrock #Georgia #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Our week in review on the Nick Reiner case — the dramatic attorney shakeup and the years of warning signs that led to December 14th.Alan Jackson, the million-dollar attorney who got Karen Read acquitted, told a Los Angeles judge he had "no choice" but to withdraw from Nick Reiner's defense. Sources point to money. Nick now has Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene — who was informed last night, had thirty seconds to meet her client, and carries nineteen years of experience into a case that will define careers. Arraignment postponed to February 23rd. No plea entered. For the first time in thirty-two years, Nick Reiner faces the justice system without unlimited resources.But we also examined what everyone saw coming. A neighbor said this wasn't the first time Nick had been violent. An LAPD insider confirmed "quite a few calls for service" to the Reiner home over the years. The night before his parents were found stabbed to death, Nick was reportedly so erratic at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party that guests were unnerved. Rob allegedly told friends that night: "I'm petrified of Nick. I think my own son can hurt me."Defense attorney Bob Motta joined us to break down the warning signs and the system that couldn't respond. Nick had been through seventeen rehab programs. He'd admitted on podcasts to gaming those programs. Professionals reportedly warned the family for years. California's LPS Act made intervention nearly impossible — requiring imminent danger, not probable danger, not visible deterioration. Rob and Michele were legally trapped with no way to force treatment. Some tragedies are preventable. Some aren't.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #AlanJackson #KimberlyGreene #BobMotta #LPSAct #MentalHealthCrisis #HiddenKillers #WeekInReviewJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Defense attorney Bob Motta joins us to break down the seven-month delay in the Sarah Grace Patrick murder trial and what it reveals about the prosecution's case.Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, is charged as an adult with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of her mother Kristin Brock and stepfather James Brock in Carroll County, Georgia. The couple was found shot in their bed on February 20th, 2025. Their young daughter discovered the bodies. Sarah called 911. Five months later, she was arrested after the Carroll County Sheriff's Office announced they had "mountains of evidence" against her.The trial was set for January 5th, 2026. It didn't happen. Judge Dustin Hightower pushed the case to August 3rd, 2026 after prosecutors said they would need time to review a defense neuropsychologist's evaluation and potentially hire their own expert to rebut it. The defense answered ready. The state wasn't.Bob Motta examines what this delay signals about the strength of the state's case. No murder weapon has been produced. No forensic evidence linking Sarah to the killings has been publicly disclosed. No firearm was found at the scene.We also discuss the social media narrative that's developed around this case and whether a teenager's TikTok activity should be treated as evidence of murder.#SarahGracePatrick #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #CarrollCounty #MurderTrial #KristinBrock #JamesBrock #TrialDelay #CriminalDefense #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
True Crime Today's week in review dissects the Nick Reiner case — the legal mechanics of an insanity defense and the broken system that left Rob and Michele Reiner with no good choices.Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder for stabbing his parents to death. The defense has signaled mental health will be central to the case. Sources confirm Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago and his medication was changed weeks before the killings. A sealed medical order is on file. An insanity plea is expected.Defense attorney Bob Motta explained what that means in California. The state uses the M'Naghten standard — the defense must prove Nick didn't understand his actions or didn't know they were wrong. The burden is entirely on the defense team. Bob walked us through how these cases are built, what evidence moves juries, and where Nick ends up if the defense succeeds.But here's the complication prosecutors will exploit: Nick's own admissions. On the Dopey podcast, he detailed seventeen years of gaming the system — staying sober just long enough to get released from rehab, convincing his parents to dismiss expert recommendations, engineering the arrangement that put him in their guesthouse. Can deliberate manipulation over two decades coexist with legal insanity?Rob and Michele faced an impossible choice. Let Nick go back to the streets. Or keep him close and hope he didn't kill them. Rob reportedly told friends the night before he died he was terrified of his own son. California's mental health laws offered no third option. The Lanterman-Petris-Short Act requires imminent danger for involuntary commitment. By the time that standard is met, it's already too late.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #BobMotta #MentalHealth #CaliforniaLaw #WeekInReview #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Our week in review on the Nick Reiner case — the insanity defense mechanics, the family's impossible situation, and a mental health system that failed everyone.Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder for stabbing his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner to death. The defense strategy has been clear from the start: mental health. Sources confirm Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago and his medication was changed weeks before the killings. A sealed medical order is already on file. An insanity plea appears inevitable.Defense attorney Bob Motta walked us through what that means under California's M'Naghten standard — one of the strictest tests in the country. The defense must prove Nick didn't understand his actions or didn't know they were wrong. The burden falls entirely on them, not prosecutors. Bob explained what evidence matters, how these cases are built, and where Nick goes if the defense succeeds.But we also confronted the harder truth. Nick's own podcast admissions reveal seventeen years of deliberate manipulation — gaming rehab programs, convincing his parents the experts were wrong, engineering the living arrangement that put him in their guesthouse instead of supervised care. Can calculated choices over nearly two decades coexist with legal insanity?Rob and Michele had two options. Let Nick go back to homelessness and addiction. Or keep him close and hope he didn't hurt them. Rob reportedly told friends the night before he died he was terrified his own son could harm him. California's Lanterman-Petris-Short Act made involuntary commitment nearly impossible. The system gave them no third choice. Millions of families face that same impossible decision right now.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #BobMotta #InsanityDefense #MentalHealth #CaliforniaLaw #HiddenKillers #WeekInReview #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
This is the fifth alleged patricide case in Southern California in recent weeks. Five sons accused of killing their fathers — or both parents — in a matter of months. The Reiners. The Cordes family. Jubilant Sykes' son. Juan Gonzalez in Perris. Joshua Bonilla in Lake Balboa.Something is happening. And the Reiner case exposes exactly why the system keeps failing.Nick Reiner didn't snap out of nowhere. Police had been to his parents' Brentwood home multiple times over the years. A neighbor described prior violent behavior. He'd cycled through seventeen rehab programs by age 22 — and admitted on podcasts to gaming every one of them. The night before the killings, his own father reportedly told friends he was "petrified" of him.Rob and Michele Reiner saw it coming. So did the people around them. But California's mental health laws made intervention nearly impossible. You can't commit an adult unless they're an imminent threat. A 72-hour hold ends with the patient walking out the door. Families are left to manage severe mental illness in their own homes — untrained, unsupported, and terrified.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins True Crime Today to examine the pattern before the crime. What does law enforcement typically see in the years leading up to a family tragedy? When police respond to a home repeatedly, what options do they actually have? And for the millions of families living this nightmare right now — what can be done before it's too late?The warning signs were everywhere. The system still couldn't stop it.#NickReiner #RobReiner #MicheleReiner #TrueCrimeToday #Patricide #MentalHealthCrisis #WarningSigns #California #SystemFailure #TrueCrime2025Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872