Podcast appearances and mentions of bob motta

Brendan Banfield spent his career as an IRS special agent. He knew how investigations work. He knew how prosecutors think. He apparently believed he could beat a murder charge by taking the stand and explaining why "no reasonable person" would kill their wife over a six-week affair.Nine hours of deliberation. Guilty on every count. Life without parole.The jury believed the au pair. Juliana Peres Magalhães testified that she watched Banfield stab Christine, that they staged the crime scene together, that the whole thing was his plan from the beginning. She walked free with time served on a manslaughter plea. The defense called her bought and paid for.Twelve people didn't care.Defense attorney Bob Motta joins Hidden Killers Live to break down exactly what happened. The decision to put Banfield on the stand. The DNA that wasn't on the knife. The digital forensics fight that went nowhere. And the fundamental flaw in the defense strategy: they told the jury what didn't happen, but never gave them an alternative story to believe.Bob explains why attacking a cooperating witness's credibility isn't enough. You have to give jurors somewhere else to land. The defense never did.Prosecutors painted a picture of a calculated scheme—fake profiles on FetLife, catfishing Joseph Ryan into believing he was meeting Christine for a consensual violent encounter, killing him when he arrived, and framing him for her murder. The jury bought it completely.Now the appeals begin. Potential grounds include the extraordinary plea deal given to Magalhães, suppressed digital evidence, and a recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling. But right now, Brendan Banfield is facing mandatory life without parole.Was he arrogant enough to think he was the smartest person in the room? Bob Motta answers that question.#BrendanBanfield #ChristineBanfield #BanfieldVerdict #BobMotta #JulianaMagalhaes #IRSAgent #AggravatedMurder #HiddenKillersLive #DefenseStrategy #TrueCrimeLiveJoin 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.

Juliana Peres Magalhães testified that she watched Brendan Banfield stab his wife Christine. She admitted to helping stage the crime scene. She called 911 with him standing next to her.She walked out of court with time served on a manslaughter plea.Brendan Banfield is going to prison for the rest of his life.The jury deliberated nine hours. Guilty on every count. Aggravated murder. No compromises. No mercy. Twelve people heard the defense call Juliana bought and paid for—and convicted him anyway.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what went wrong.The fundamental problem: the defense told jurors what didn't happen, but never told them what did. Banfield's DNA wasn't on the murder weapon. The digital forensics fight went nowhere. They attacked Juliana's credibility from every angle. But attacking a cooperating witness only works if you give the jury an alternative story.The defense never did.Then Banfield took the stand. A former IRS special agent who spent his career inside the system, apparently confident he could beat it. He told jurors that "no reasonable person" would kill their wife over a six-week affair with the au pair.They gave him life without parole.Bob identifies the moment this case was probably lost. He explains why putting Banfield on the stand may have sealed his fate. And he addresses the appeal grounds already taking shape—the cooperating witness deal, suppressed digital evidence, and a recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling that could matter.Prosecutors argued Banfield and Magalhães catfished Joseph Ryan through the fetish website FetLife, lured him to the house believing he was meeting Christine for a consensual violent encounter, then killed him and framed him for her murder.The jury believed every word.#BrendanBanfield #ChristineBanfield #BanfieldGuilty #JulianaMagalhaes #AuPairTestimony #BobMotta #DefenseStrategy #AggravatedMurder #HiddenKillers #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.

Nine hours of deliberation. Guilty on every count. Aggravated murder. Mandatory life without parole.Brendan Banfield is going to prison for killing his wife Christine—and the defense strategy that was supposed to save him may have sealed his fate.Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down exactly what went wrong.The jury believed Juliana Peres Magalhães, the au pair who admitted to being at the scene, admitted to helping stage the crime, admitted to the affair. She testified that Banfield masterminded the entire plot—that she watched him stab Christine, that they called 911 together, that he wanted to "get rid of" his wife so they could be together.She walked free with time served. He got life.The defense called her bought and paid for. They pointed out Banfield's DNA wasn't on the murder weapon. They challenged the digital forensics. But Bob explains the fundamental problem: they told the jury what didn't happen, but never told them what did.Attacking a cooperating witness only works if you give jurors an alternative story. The defense never provided one.Then Banfield took the stand. A former IRS special agent who apparently believed he could outsmart the system he spent his career working inside. He told jurors that "no reasonable person" would kill their wife over a six-week affair.Twelve people disagreed.Prosecutors argued Banfield and Magalhães created fake profiles on FetLife, catfished Joseph Ryan into believing he was meeting Christine for a consensual encounter, killed him when he arrived, and framed him for her murder. The jury bought every word.Bob identifies the moment this case was probably lost—and answers whether Banfield's arrogance cost him everything.Appeals are coming. But right now, it's over.#BrendanBanfield #ChristineBanfield #BanfieldGuilty #BanfieldVerdict #JulianaMagalhaes #BobMotta #AggravatedMurder #DefenseFailed #BanfieldCase #LifeWithoutParoleJoin 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.

Today on Hidden Killers Live, defense attorney Bob Motta examines two major murder cases that are dominating headlines — the Brendan Banfield conviction and the Michael McKee arrest in the Monique Tepe double homicide.Brendan Banfield is going to prison for life. The former federal agent was convicted of aggravated murder after the jury believed his au pair over his testimony. She got murder dropped to manslaughter and walked free the day she testified against him. The defense called her bought and paid for. Twelve jurors didn't care. Bob breaks down why the defense strategy failed and whether Banfield's decision to take the stand sealed his fate.Then we examine the appeal. Banfield's team will argue the witness deal was too coercive, that evidence was buried, that the digital forensics investigation was compromised. Bob explains each argument and gives an honest assessment of the odds. The "harmless error" doctrine kills most appeals, and Banfield's team faces that mountain.Finally, we turn to Michael McKee, charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. The evidence looks damning — surveillance footage, phone records, witnesses saying Monique told them McKee had threatened her for years. But Bob explains what defense attorneys see that the public doesn't. The reliability problems with video evidence. The hearsay challenges. The eight-year gap between the divorce and the murders that cuts both ways.This is comprehensive defense analysis of two active murder cases from an attorney who won't sugarcoat the odds.#BrendanBanfield #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #BanfieldVerdict #TepeMurders #AggravatedMurder #DefenseAttorney #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/tonybpodThis 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 for a deep examination of two major murder cases — the Brendan Banfield conviction and the Michael McKee arrest in the Tepe murders.We start with Banfield. The former IRS agent just got convicted of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine and Ryan Banfield. The jury deliberated nine hours and came back guilty on everything. They believed the au pair — the woman who got murder dropped to manslaughter and walked free in exchange for her testimony. The defense hammered her credibility. It didn't matter.Bob breaks down exactly where the defense went wrong. The strategy of attacking the prosecution's story without offering an alternative. Banfield's decision to take the stand and tell the jury this whole thing was "absolutely crazy." The DNA that wasn't on the knife. The digital forensics fight that went nowhere. Every decision that led to this verdict.Then we examine the appeal. Life without parole in Virginia means exactly what it sounds like. Banfield is 40. Unless something changes, he dies in prison. Bob explains what his appellate team will argue — the coercive witness deal, the potentially buried evidence, the reassigned forensic investigator — and why most of it probably won't work.Finally, we shift to Michael McKee, charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. Bob examines the surveillance footage, the hearsay testimony, and the phone evidence prosecutors are relying on. What looks like an open-and-shut case has complications a defense attorney will exploit.#BrendanBanfield #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #BobMotta #BanfieldAppeal #TepeMurders #AggravatedMurder #HiddenKillers #DefenseAttorney #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/tonybpodThis 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 major murder cases. One defense attorney. Tonight on Hidden Killers Live, Bob Motta examines the Brendan Banfield conviction and the Michael McKee arrest — and takes your questions about both.Brendan Banfield just got convicted of aggravated murder. The former federal agent is facing life without parole after the jury believed the au pair over him. She walked free with time served. He's going to die in prison. Bob breaks down where the defense strategy failed, whether testifying hurt Banfield, and what his appeal chances actually look like.The au pair deal, the buried evidence angle, the digital forensics investigator who got reassigned when his findings didn't match the prosecution's theory — we're examining every argument Banfield's appellate team will make. Bob doesn't sugarcoat the odds. The "harmless error" doctrine kills most appeals, and getting past that barrier is nearly impossible.Then we shift to Michael McKee, charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. The surveillance footage looks damning. The phone records look damning. Witnesses say Monique told them McKee had threatened her for years. But what does a defense attorney actually see when they look at this evidence?Bob breaks down the reliability problems with video identification, the hearsay challenges prosecutors will face, and the eight-year gap between the divorce and the murders that complicates the premeditation argument.Join us live for comprehensive analysis of both cases — and bring your questions.#BrendanBanfield #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #HiddenKillersLive #BobMotta #BanfieldVerdict #TepeMurders #TrueCrimeLive #DefenseAttorney #LivePodcastJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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 is in custody, charged with the aggravated murder of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. The affidavit paints a dark picture — surveillance footage, a vehicle traced to McKee, witnesses saying Monique told them he'd been threatening her for years. The public has already made up its mind.Today on True Crime Today, defense attorney Bob Motta examines what a courtroom will actually see when this case goes to trial. The surveillance footage everyone's treating as conclusive — how reliable is it? Video evidence isn't as straightforward as TV makes it look. Bob explains the difference between footage that looks damning and footage that proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt.The hearsay testimony is another issue. Monique reportedly told friends that McKee threatened her. She's dead. She can't testify to any of that. Prosecutors will try to get those statements in through hearsay exceptions, but defense attorneys have ways to challenge them. Bob breaks down how that fight will play out.McKee's phone allegedly went silent during the time of the murders. It's the kind of evidence that makes headlines, but Bob explains why it's more complicated than it sounds. Phones die, people forget them, signals drop. Digital evidence that seems airtight often isn't.There's also the eight-year gap between the divorce and the murders. No restraining orders we know of, no recent incidents documented. Does that help McKee's defense or undermine it? And what does "aggravated murder" actually require prosecutors to prove? Bob explains the difference between "he did it" and "he planned to do it."#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #TepeMurders #TrueCrimeToday #BobMotta #AggravatedMurder #SurveillanceEvidence #DefenseAttorney #DoubleHomicide #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/tonybpodThis 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 verdict is in. Brendan Banfield, the former IRS criminal investigator, has been convicted of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine and Ryan Banfield. The jury deliberated nine hours and came back with guilty on everything. No lesser charges, no compromises. Life without parole.Today on True Crime Today, defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what happened in that Virginia courtroom and why the defense strategy failed. At the center of this case was Juliana, the au pair who admitted involvement but cut a deal that dropped her murder charge to manslaughter. She walked out of custody the day she testified. The defense hammered her as bought and paid for — a witness saying whatever prosecutors wanted to hear. Twelve jurors still believed her over Banfield.Bob explains the problem: attacking credibility only works if you give the jury something else to grab onto. The defense told jurors what didn't happen but never painted a clear picture of what did. That's a dangerous game in a double murder trial.We also break down Banfield's decision to testify. He took that stand and told jurors no reasonable person would kill their wife over a six-week fling. Bob analyzes whether that helped him or sealed his fate — and why defendants who think they can explain away evidence often make things worse.The DNA, the digital forensics fight, the investigation itself — it all gets examined. This is Part 1 of our Banfield verdict analysis, and it answers one question: where exactly did this case fall apart for the defense?#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldTrial #TrueCrimeToday #ChristineBanfield #BobMotta #AggravatedMurder #DoubleHomicide #DefenseAttorney #VirginiaCase #JuryVerdictJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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.

Brendan Banfield's trial is over. The conviction is in. Life without parole. But the legal fight continues — because when you're facing dying in prison, you appeal everything, challenge everything, exhaust every possible avenue. The question is whether any of it has a real chance of working.Today on True Crime Today, defense attorney Bob Motta explains what comes next for Banfield and what his appellate lawyers are going to argue. Appeals aren't about convincing a new jury. They're about finding legal errors — things the trial judge did that violated procedure or the defendant's rights. Banfield's team has several potential arguments, but each faces serious obstacles.The Juliana deal is one angle. Murder dropped to manslaughter, time served, she walks free after testifying. The defense will argue that's so coercive it taints her testimony. Bob explains why courts rarely buy that argument — as long as the jury knew about the deal, and this jury did, it's usually considered fair game.The digital forensics issue is potentially stronger. The prosecution's own investigator got pulled off the case when his findings didn't align with their theory. If evidence was withheld from the defense, that's a Brady violation — one of the few things that can overturn a conviction. But proving it is hard, and getting a new trial is harder.Bob also addresses the "harmless error" doctrine — the legal standard that lets courts acknowledge mistakes but say they wouldn't have changed the outcome anyway. It kills most appeals, and Banfield's team will have to prove otherwise.#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldAppeal #TrueCrimeToday #LifeWithoutParole #BobMotta #ChristineBanfield #VirginiaAppeals #CriminalJustice #AppealProcess #DoubleHomicideJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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.

 Life without parole. In Virginia, that's not a figure of speech. There's no parole board, no time off for good behavior, no path out. Brendan Banfield is 40 years old. Barring something extraordinary on appeal, he will die in a state prison.So what does "extraordinary" look like? Defense attorney Bob Motta is here to explain what Banfield's appellate team is actually going to argue — and why most of it faces near-impossible odds.First, let's be clear about what appeals are and aren't. They're not about whether the jury got it wrong. Appellate courts don't retry cases. They look for legal errors — things the judge did that violated the defendant's rights or tainted the proceedings. Banfield's team will argue several things: that Juliana's deal was too coercive, that evidence was buried, that the digital forensics fight was mishandled.Bob breaks down each argument and its chances. The au pair deal is a tough sell — courts generally allow cooperating witness agreements as long as juries know about them, and this jury knew. The digital evidence angle is more interesting — the prosecution's own forensic guy got reassigned when his findings didn't match their theory. If the defense can prove something was withheld, that's a potential Brady violation. But proving it and getting a new trial are two different things.The biggest obstacle is "harmless error." Even when something goes wrong, courts routinely say the outcome would've been the same anyway. Getting past that barrier after a jury heard weeks of testimony is brutally hard. Bob doesn't sugarcoat the odds.#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldAppeal #LifeWithoutParole #VirginiaAppeals #BobMotta #ChristineBanfield #BradyViolation #CriminalJustice #HiddenKillers #AppellateProcessJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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.

Nine hours. That's all it took for twelve jurors to decide Brendan Banfield murdered his wife Christine and her lover Ryan. No compromises on the charges. No sympathy for the former federal agent who swore he didn't do it. They believed the au pair — the woman who got murder dropped to manslaughter and walked out of jail the day she testified against him.Defense attorney Bob Motta is here to explain why. He breaks down the fundamental flaw in Banfield's defense strategy: they spent the entire trial telling jurors what didn't happen, but never gave them an alternative story to believe. You can attack a witness's credibility all day long. If you don't fill that void with something else, jurors fill it themselves.We dig into Banfield's decision to take the stand — a move that's almost always risky, and in this case may have been fatal to his defense. He told the jury this whole thing was "absolutely crazy," that no reasonable person would kill their wife over a six-week affair. Bob explains why that kind of testimony often backfires and what jurors actually hear when a defendant tries to explain away damning evidence.Then there's the DNA. Banfield's wasn't on the murder weapon. Only Christine's and Ryan's. The defense attorney argued the guy who brought the knife is the stabber. Sounds compelling. The jury didn't care. Bob explains why physical evidence doesn't always mean what we think it means — and why reasonable doubt isn't as powerful as defense attorneys wish it were.#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldGuilty #ChristineBanfield #RyanBanfield #BobMotta #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderTrial #JulianaAuPair #VirginiaHomicide #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/tonybpodThis 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 has been charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. The surveillance footage, the phone records, the witnesses claiming Monique said he'd threatened her for years — it all looks like an open-and-shut case. The public has already decided he's guilty.But defense attorney Bob Motta looks at cases differently. His job is to examine evidence the way a courtroom will, not the way cable news does. And when he looks at this case, he sees questions that haven't been answered yet.The surveillance footage is one thing. Prosecutors are leaning hard on video showing McKee's car allegedly coming and going, him supposedly walking through their yard weeks earlier. Bob explains what people get wrong about video evidence — resolution issues, identification problems, the difference between "looks like" and "proof beyond reasonable doubt."Then there's the hearsay. Monique allegedly told friends that McKee threatened her. She's not alive to testify to that. Can prosecutors just use what other people say she said? Bob breaks down how hearsay exceptions work, when those statements get in, and what a defense attorney does to challenge them.The phone going silent during the murders sounds damning. But digital evidence is more complicated than prosecutors make it seem. Phones die. People leave them places. Bob explains the other side of that story.Eight years passed between the divorce and the murders. No restraining orders that we know of, no recent documented incidents. Does that gap help McKee or hurt him? Bob examines the timeline and what it means for proving premeditation.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #TepeMurders #BobMotta #DefenseAttorney #SurveillanceEvidence #HearsayTestimony #AggravatedMurder #HiddenKillers #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/tonybpodThis 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.

Brendan Banfield is facing life without parole. He's 40 years old. Unless something changes on appeal, he dies in a Virginia prison. Tonight on Hidden Killers Live, defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what comes next — and whether any of it has a real chance of working.Appeals aren't about whether the jury got it wrong. Appellate courts don't retry cases. They look for legal errors the judge made that affected the outcome. Banfield's team has several potential arguments, and we're examining each one live with your questions.The Juliana deal is one angle. Murder dropped to manslaughter, time served, she walks free after testifying against him. The defense will argue that's so coercive it taints her testimony. Bob explains why courts rarely buy that argument — but also what makes this case potentially different.The digital forensics fight might be more promising. The prosecution's own investigator got pulled off the case when his findings didn't match their theory. If evidence was suppressed, that's a Brady violation — one of the few things that can actually overturn a conviction. But proving suppression and proving it mattered are two different legal battles.Bob also tackles the "harmless error" doctrine — the standard that kills most appeals by letting courts acknowledge mistakes but say they wouldn't have changed the verdict anyway. How do you get past that when a jury heard weeks of testimony?Join us live as we break down Banfield's appellate options and take your questions about what happens next.#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldAppeal #HiddenKillersLive #BobMotta #LifeWithoutParole #VirginiaAppeals #BradyViolation #TrueCrimeLive #CriminalAppeals #LivePodcastJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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.

Brendan Banfield has been convicted of aggravated murder. The jury took nine hours and came back guilty on every count. A former federal agent is going to spend the rest of his life in prison because twelve people believed Juliana — the au pair who walked free with time served after her murder charge got dropped to manslaughter.Tonight on Hidden Killers Live, defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down this verdict in real time. We're taking your questions and examining exactly what happened in that Virginia courtroom. The defense called Juliana bought and paid for. They hammered her deal, attacked her credibility, showed the jury a witness with every reason to lie. None of it worked.Bob explains where the defense strategy went wrong. The fundamental problem: they told jurors what didn't happen but never gave them something else to believe. You can poke holes in the prosecution's case all day. If you don't fill those holes with an alternative story, juries fill them themselves — usually with guilty verdicts.We're also breaking down Banfield's decision to testify. He took that stand and called the whole thing "absolutely crazy." He told the jury no reasonable person would kill their wife over a six-week fling. Bob analyzes whether that helped him or sealed his fate.The DNA wasn't on the knife. The digital forensics fight raised real questions about the investigation. None of it saved him. Join us live as we examine why — and take your questions about what comes next.#BrendanBanfield #BanfieldVerdict #BobMotta #HiddenKillersLive #ChristineBanfield #AggravatedMurder #TrueCrimeLive #DefenseStrategy #JulianaAuPair #LivePodcastJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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 is charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband. The evidence looks damning. The public has already convicted him. Tonight on Hidden Killers Live, defense attorney Bob Motta examines what a courtroom will actually see — and takes your questions about the case.The surveillance footage is being treated like a smoking gun. But Bob explains what people get wrong about video evidence. Resolution matters. Angles matter. Identification from grainy footage is more complicated than prosecutors make it seem. The difference between "that looks like him" and "proof beyond reasonable doubt" is where cases get won or lost.Then there's the hearsay problem. Monique allegedly told friends McKee threatened her for years. She's dead. She can't testify to that. Prosecutors will try to get those statements in, but defense attorneys have ways to fight them. Bob breaks down how hearsay exceptions work and what a defense team will argue.The phone going silent during the murders sounds incriminating. But digital evidence is rarely as straightforward as headlines make it appear. Phones die, signals drop, people forget devices. Bob explains the other side.Eight years passed between the divorce and the killings. No restraining orders we know of. Does that help McKee or hurt him? This is an aggravated murder charge — prosecutors have to prove premeditation, not just that he did it. Bob examines what that actually requires.Join us live as we break down this case and take your questions.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #HiddenKillersLive #BobMotta #TepeMurders #SurveillanceEvidence #HearsayTestimony #TrueCrimeLive #AggravatedMurder #LivePodcastJoin 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/tonybpodThis 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.