Donna Adelson: The Narcissist on the Stand & The Legal War to Rewrite the Past | 2025 Year in Review

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit the shocking moment that shattered the illusion of Adelson family unity — Wendi Adelson’s refusal to testify for her mother, Donna, in one of Florida’s most explosive murder-for-hire trials. In a stunning pretrial twist, Donna’s defense team tried to subpoena her daughter, Wendi, hoping her testimony might humanize Donna or counterbalance the prosecution’s narrative. But Wendi’s lawyers fought back, arguing that testifying could incriminate her — and the judge agreed. The subpoena was tossed, meaning Wendi will not be forced to take the stand. It’s a moment that speaks volumes without a word being spoken. While Charlie Adelson, already convicted and serving life for his role in the 2014 murder of Florida State law professor Dan Markel, steps forward to testify for his mother, Wendi stays silent. In a case built on loyalty, control, and manipulation, this silence may say more than any testimony ever could. Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott break down what this fracture reveals about the psychology of the Adelson family — how fear, guilt, and self-preservation drive behavior when the walls close in. They analyze how jurors are likely to interpret the sibling contrast: one child taking the stand for loyalty, another staying quiet to save herself. Does Wendi’s silence protect her, or does it make her look complicit? Then, defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins Tony to explore how this new dynamic could shift courtroom strategy. Could Donna’s team now push harder to put her on the stand herself, hoping to fill the emotional vacuum left by Wendi’s absence? And what will the state do with a family now publicly divided — a daughter refusing to help her mother, a son defending her from a prison cell? This isn’t just a trial about murder. It’s about the collapse of a dynasty built on influence and image, where loyalty has finally given way to self-preservation. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases That Exposed the Truth Behind the Facades. #DonnaAdelson #WendiAdelson #CharlieAdelson #DanMarkel #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott #EricFaddis #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderTrial #CourtroomDrama #FamilyBetrayal #HiddenKillersYearInReview Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 37min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re unpacking one of the most haunting psychological stories to emerge from the Gilgo Beach murders — the steadfast denial of Asa Ellerup, estranged wife of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann. Even as prosecutors present a mountain of evidence — DNA matches, hair fibers from family members found on victims, burner phones, and a detailed murder planning document — Asa still calls her husband her “hero.” She describes visiting him in jail as feeling like “a first date.” She smiles when she hears his voice. She insists their home — where police say the murders were plotted — could never be a crime scene. In this gripping psychological breakdown, retired FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke joins Tony Brueski to dissect how trauma, denial, and love can merge into something that looks like loyalty but is really self-preservation. Dreeke explains how 27 years of marriage built what he calls a “truth infrastructure” — a psychological foundation so powerful that admitting betrayal feels more dangerous than believing the lie. He unpacks the mechanics of trauma bonding, cognitive dissonance, and protective blindness, explaining how the human brain often rejects unbearable truth to preserve emotional stability. Dreeke also explores how financial stress, illness, and media exploitation may amplify Asa’s denial — especially as she battles cancer, navigates public scrutiny, and faces criticism for participating in the Peacock documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. Then, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony to analyze the most disturbing moments captured on camera — including Rex’s recorded jail calls and Asa’s telling body language. Why does she close her eyes when confronted with evidence? Why does she describe love as something that would “hurt him”? Scott reveals how guilt, dependency, and unresolved trauma often trap partners of predators in cycles of emotional paralysis. Together, Dreeke and Scott piece together a portrait not just of denial — but of the psychological collateral damage left behind when a family’s reality is shattered by unimaginable truth. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Psychology, and The Human Blind Spots That Defined the Year. #AsaEllerup #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #TraumaBonding #SerialKillerPsychology #Denial #CognitiveDissonance #TrueCrimePodcast #LongIslandSerialKiller #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForVictims Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 53min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re unpacking one of the most controversial and conversation-shifting verdicts of the decade — the federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. After months of disturbing testimony, celebrity appearances, and viral evidence — including the now-infamous surveillance video showing Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura — the jury delivered a verdict that stunned the nation. Diddy was found guilty on two federal counts of transporting women across state lines for prostitution, yet acquitted on the most serious charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and conspiracy. In this special episode, Tony Brueski and attorney Eric Faddis break down exactly what happened inside that courtroom — the evidence, the emotional testimony, and the legal strategies that defined the trial. How could a case so full of damning details end in such a divided result? Was this the justice system doing its job… or an indictment of how power and celebrity still distort accountability? Eric Faddis, a former prosecutor turned defense attorney, walks us through the legal nuance — how burden of proof, technical definitions, and jury psychology intersected to create this outcome. Together, Tony and Eric dissect the split verdict’s cultural implications, asking whether this moment signals a deeper societal fatigue with #MeToo-era accountability. Did jurors no longer see psychological coercion as “real” violence? Did prosecutors overestimate how far public empathy extends for survivors of celebrity abuse? Or was this verdict less about the facts — and more about America’s shifting comfort with power, money, and moral gray zones? We also explain why Diddy remains behind bars despite the partial acquittal, and what comes next as he faces a sentencing phase that could carry up to 20 years in federal prison. Will Judge Arun Subramanian set a precedent — or fold to the same cultural machinery that kept Diddy protected for decades? This isn’t just a verdict recap. It’s a postmortem on justice in 2025. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases That Redefined Accountability, Power, and Public Conscience. #DiddyVerdict #SeanCombs #CassieVentura #EricFaddis #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #CelebrityJustice #MeTooBacklash #FederalTrial #SexTraffickingCase #JusticeSystem #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 36min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we turn the lens away from the accused and toward the people who’ve been living in the shadow of one of the nation’s most haunting murder cases — the family of Bryan Kohberger. In this gripping three-part deep dive, Tony Brueski uncovers the emotional and legal crossroads facing Kohberger’s parents and sisters as the Idaho murder trial looms. What happens when the system turns its gaze toward the family of the accused? What did they know, and when? We begin with the latest bombshell: both Bryan Kohberger’s father and sister may be called as witnesses by the prosecution. Why would the state take the extraordinary step of subpoenaing family members? Could they have seen something—heard something—that adds weight to the timeline? Using verified court filings and public statements, Tony breaks down what this means for a case already teetering between the personal and the procedural. Then we go inside the Kohberger home in the tense weeks before Bryan’s arrest. One sister reportedly noticed unsettling behavior—something that made her question the brother she thought she knew. What did she see? What did she say? And how did those private moments of suspicion and fear evolve into public testimony? This episode also examines the psychology of proximity — how families of alleged killers experience guilt by association, media intrusion, and unbearable moral conflict. Are they victims of circumstance, silent witnesses to horror, or both? Along the way, former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins Tony to dissect the unnerving behavior captured on surveillance footage after the murders — Kohberger shopping at Albertson’s and Costco, the infamous mirror selfie, and possible online activity as “Papa Rodger.” Could these details show a man spiraling, or someone savoring the aftermath? From the quiet dread inside the Kohberger home to the bizarre post-crime trail that keeps resurfacing, this is the story of a family entangled in the making of a modern American tragedy. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Families, and The Fallout That Defined the Year. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #PapaRodger #TrueCrimePodcast #KohbergerFamily #WitnessList #CourtroomDrama #CriminalPsychology #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForVictims Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 43min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, this full-length special brings together all four parts of our deep investigation into the case of Donna Adelson — the grandmother, mother, and alleged mastermind at the center of one of Florida’s most shocking murder-for-hire conspiracies. This is the complete, unbroken story — from the private family dynamics that prosecutors say sparked a deadly plot, to the public trial that could end with Donna spending the rest of her life behind bars. We begin inside the Adelson family, where Donna’s influence allegedly shaped everything — including her children’s decisions and the years-long feud with Florida State law professor Dan Markel. The state claims Donna’s control and obsession with family “image” turned toxic, driving the financial schemes, the $1 million relocation bribe offer, and the custody-fueled resentment that ultimately led to murder. Next, we break down Donna’s public and private narrative control — from the coded language in her jail calls to her tone-shifting conversations designed to manipulate both family and public perception. Even behind bars, her words carry weight, painting herself as a misunderstood matriarch while sidestepping accountability. Then comes her biggest gamble yet — the possibility of testifying in her own defense. Alongside Defense Attorney Eric Faddis, we explore the psychology, confidence, and potential ego behind that decision. Could Donna’s instinct for control be the very thing that exposes her to devastating cross-examination? We also examine how prosecutors plan to connect the dots — from the financial transactions to Katherine Magbanua, to Luis Rivera’s testimony about “the lady” ordering the hit, to the one-way ticket to Vietnam that speaks louder than words. Finally, we look at the aftermath: the intergenerational trauma facing the Adelson grandchildren, the moral collapse of a family once built on privilege and perception, and the lasting stain this case leaves on every name attached to it. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases That Defined a Year of Power, Psychology, and Justice. #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #CharlieAdelson #KatherineMagbanua #EricFaddis #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #FloridaCrime #MurderForHire #CourtroomDrama #JusticeForDanMarkel #HiddenKillersYearInReview #AdelsonTrial #FamilyCrime Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 1h 1min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re revisiting one of the most disturbing and debated questions of the year: Was Bryan Kohberger just a socially awkward PhD student obsessed with criminology—or a meticulous killer hiding in plain sight? In this full-length breakdown, Tony Brueski sits down with former felony prosecutor and defense attorney Eric Faddis, and later, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott, to unravel both sides of the psychological and legal battlefield surrounding the Idaho student murder case. From disappearing cell phone signals to Amazon receipts allegedly showing purchases of masks and knives months before the crime, the evidence paints a chilling picture of intent and foresight. Prosecutors say these details form a digital breadcrumb trail of premeditation—a methodical pattern that includes turning off his phone during the murders, changing his license plates afterward, and buying a new knife sharpener like it was just another household necessity. Faddis breaks down how prosecutors could use this mountain of circumstantial evidence to prove intent and pattern, while the defense may counter with claims of coincidence—or even neurodivergence, arguing that Kohberger’s socially awkward behavior is being misinterpreted as malice. Could an autism spectrum defense help humanize him in front of a jury—or would it risk sounding like an excuse for cold, calculated planning? Then, Shavaun Scott joins Tony for the darker dive — exploring the unsettling parallels between Kohberger’s alleged actions and cinematic killers like Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) and Norman Bates (Psycho). From his mirror selfie and sterile composure to online alter egos like “Papa Rodger” commenting about the murders in real time, they examine how narcissism, ego, and obsession with control may have blended into performance. Was Kohberger studying criminology to understand crime—or to perfect it? And if these clues were left on purpose, what was the endgame: to prove superiority, or to be remembered? 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Minds, and The Obsessions That Defined the Year. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimePodcast #AmericanPsycho #PapaRodger #CriminalPsychology #CourtroomDrama #Premeditation #AutismDefense #Idaho4 #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForVictims Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 32min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit one of the most surreal and unsettling trials in modern American true crime — the Arizona murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, the so-called Doomsday Mom who’s decided to defend herself in court while accused of orchestrating the murder of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow. This episode pulls listeners straight into the Chandler, Arizona home where it all happened: two bullets, one body, and forty-seven silent minutes before anyone called for help. Tony Brueski and Defense Attorney Bob Motta (Defense Diaries) dissect the prosecution’s opening narrative — one of delusion, greed, and cold calculation — and the defense’s bizarre self-representation strategy that’s turning the courtroom into a psychological sideshow. Prosecutors allege Lori conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to kill Charles for a $1 million life insurance payout and to clear the way to marry her apocalyptic “soulmate,” Chad Daybell. The evidence? Texts invoking scripture to justify murder (“I will be like Nephi”), phone records revealing coordination, and chilling forensic details showing Charles was shot twice — the second bullet fired downward after he collapsed. Firefighters testified the scene looked staged: no CPR, no struggle, and an eerily spotless floor. Lori, meanwhile, was running errands — Burger King, Walgreens, dropping off her son — as her husband’s body cooled on the tile. But this isn’t just about evidence; it’s about ego and delusion on trial. Motta breaks down Lori’s decision to act as her own lawyer — fumbling through legal jargon, cross-examining witnesses who seem to know more law than she does, and repeatedly trying to exclude “inconvenient” evidence from the record. As he puts it, Lori’s courtroom presence is “less Harvard Law, more hostage to her own hubris.” The prosecution, for its part, is playing this round differently — keeping the talk of “zombies” and dark spirits to a minimum while focusing on motive, money, and manipulation. The goal: strip away the spiritual theatrics and reveal the human greed underneath. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Trials, The Delusions, and The Darkness That Defined the Year. #LoriVallowDaybell #CharlesVallow #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #BobMotta #DefenseDiaries #TrueCrimePodcast #DoomsdayMom #ChadDaybell #MurderTrial #CourtroomDrama #ReligiousDelusion #ApocalypticBeliefs #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

30 Marras 59min

As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re breaking down the most calculated—and sometimes downright desperate—moves by Donna Adelson, the matriarch at the center of Florida’s most infamous murder-for-hire case. In one of the year’s most revealing episodes, Tony Brueski exposes how Donna’s defense team has spent months trying to slow, stall, and spin the inevitable. From filing motions to disqualify the judge, to claiming Tallahassee’s residents are too “emotionally informed” to serve on a jury, to arguing that routine evidence is somehow “prejudicial,” this has become a masterclass in delay tactics. And it’s not working. We unpack six of the most aggressive attempts Donna’s lawyers have made to derail the prosecution—from re-deposing witnesses based on so-called “new evidence” to claiming the court of public opinion makes a fair trial impossible. The result? A defense strategy that’s running out of time and credibility, one filing at a time. Then, Tony dives into the next looming spectacle: the possibility of Donna taking the stand in her own defense. It’s a high-risk, high-ego move that could either humanize her or expose her as the manipulative force prosecutors say she’s always been. Could her trademark confidence charm jurors—or will it read as arrogance under pressure? We break down the evidence she’d have to face if she testifies: The million-dollar bribe offer to relocate Dan Markel closer to the Adelsons. Her alleged plan to use religion as leverage in custody disputes. The stream of checks to Katherine Magbanua, a convicted go-between in the murder plot. And the FBI “bump” recording, hinting at Donna’s knowledge of the crime. This episode reveals the anatomy of a defense that seems more focused on optics than outcome—and a defendant whose belief in her own brilliance may be her final undoing. 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases Where Justice Refused to Wait. #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderForHire #CourtroomDrama #FloridaCrime #LegalStrategy #CharlieAdelson #KatherineMagbanua #YearInReview #JusticeForDanMarkel #HiddenKillersYearInReview Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

29 Marras 51min