D4VD & Laken Snelling: Panic, Denial & Disaster, How Young Minds Destroy Their Lives in Seconds

Justice — delayed, but finally delivered. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we cover the stunning verdict in the case of Abby Zwerner, the Virginia first-grade teacher who was shot by her six-year-old student inside Richneck Elementary School. After nearly two years, a jury has ruled that former assistant principal Ebony Parker is liable for ignoring repeated warnings that the child had a gun — awarding $10 million in damages to Zwerner. This isn’t just a lawsuit — it’s an indictment of an entire system that looked the other way. Teachers came forward that morning. They told Parker the student had a weapon in his backpack. They begged her to act. But she didn’t. Hours later, Abby stood at the front of her classroom — teaching, protecting, doing her job — when that six-year-old pulled the trigger. The bullet nearly killed her. Multiple surgeries later, she’s still living with nerve damage, pain, and trauma that will never fully fade. But tonight’s verdict is more than compensation — it’s a warning shot to every school district in America: when staff ignore danger, when leadership protects its image instead of its people, the courtroom will hold you accountable. Tony Brueski breaks down the key testimony, courtroom reactions, and what this landmark decision means for educators, parents, and every student walking into class tomorrow. The Abby Zwerner verdict isn’t just about one assistant principal — it’s about a national failure to take threats seriously until it’s too late. Watch as Tony walks through: – How multiple teachers sounded the alarm — and were ignored – Why the jury sided with Zwerner and what evidence swayed them – The emotional impact of her testimony and survival – What comes next for Parker’s pending criminal charges This is the story of one teacher’s fight for justice — and the system’s long-overdue reckoning. #AbbyZwerner #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TeacherShooting #EbonyParker #SchoolSafety #TrueCrimePodcast #JusticeForAbby #VirginiaTrial #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrime 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

6 Marras 6min

In one of the most damning congressional letters in recent history, Rep. Jamie Raskin is demanding answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi after the Department of Justice quietly killed the ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators. Until January 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York was running an active case—interviewing survivors, issuing subpoenas, and pursuing leads on Epstein’s vast network of abusers and enablers. Nearly fifty women provided names, timelines, and evidence connecting at least twenty powerful men to Epstein’s operation. Then, overnight, everything stopped. The Trump DOJ ordered the files transferred to Washington, D.C. By July, the FBI and DOJ had closed the case, issuing a one-page memo claiming there was “no evidence” to continue. Raskin calls it what it is: a gigantic cover-up. In his letter, he accuses the DOJ of abandoning survivors, firing prosecutors, dismissing credible witnesses, and refusing to investigate over $1.5 billion in suspicious Epstein-linked transactions flagged by major banks. Even worse, FBI Director Kash Patel told Congress the victims were “not credible”—the same women whose testimony convicted Ghislaine Maxwell beyond a reasonable doubt. This episode breaks down Raskin’s explosive letter line by line—how the DOJ buried one of the largest sex-trafficking investigations in U.S. history, what it means for survivors, and what Congress plans to do next. Because if the government can erase the Epstein files this easily, who will they protect next? 🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — Exposing the truth they don’t want you to hear. #JeffreyEpstein #JamieRaskin #EpsteinCoverUp #PamBondi #FBI #DOJ #SexTrafficking #EpsteinFiles #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrime #JusticeForSurvivors #GhislaineMaxwell #JamieRaskinLetter #EpsteinInvestigation 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

6 Marras 20min

Two girls nearly lost their lives.  Eleven felonies were filed.  And yet, 18-year-old Jesse Mack Butler will never spend a day in prison. In this explosive episode, Hidden Killers host Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke break down how Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender loophole turned a brutal sexual-assault case into a year of “rehabilitation.” Court records show Butler was accused of rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and strangulation — one victim choked to the point of unconsciousness, another requiring neck surgery. Investigators recovered phone video evidence supporting the assaults. Despite this, prosecutors and the judge approved Youthful Offender status because Butler was 17 at the time. He pled no contest — not admitting guilt, but accepting conviction — and received supervised freedom instead of prison. Tony and Robin unpack the psychological, legal, and cultural forces behind the ruling: How community influence bends justice in small towns. Why parental protection turns into moral blindness. How empathy for offenders replaces compassion for survivors. And most importantly — what this means for future victims in Oklahoma and beyond. This is not mercy. It’s the breakdown of accountability — live on the record. #HiddenKillers #JesseButler #StillwaterScandal #YouthfulOffender #TrueCrimePodcast #OklahomaJustice #RobinDreeke #TonyBrueski #JusticeSystem #PredatorProtection 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

6 Marras 29min

For more than 40 years, the man now known as the Golden State Killer stalked California — breaking into homes, raping, murdering, and then vanishing into the night. He was a ghost who terrorized families from Sacramento to Santa Barbara — until one relentless prosecutor finally helped end his reign of fear. In this episode, Tony Brueski sits down with Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, the man who personally led the prosecution that put Joseph James DeAngelo behind bars for life. Ho’s new book, The People vs. The Golden State Killer, pulls back the curtain on the real investigation — from the DNA breakthrough that cracked the case wide open to the survivors who refused to stay silent. This isn’t a retelling of old headlines. It’s the first inside account of what really happened in the courtroom, the strategies behind the scenes, and the human cost of justice decades in the making. You’ll hear how DeAngelo faked insanity to manipulate investigators, the haunting promise Ho made to a survivor, and the moment victims stood up in court and told their attacker they weren’t afraid anymore. This is the story of justice, perseverance, and the team that never stopped hunting a monster hiding in plain sight. #HiddenKillers #GoldenStateKiller #JosephDeAngelo #ThienHo #TrueCrimeToday #ColdCase #DNAJustice #EastAreaRapist #OriginalNightstalker #JusticeServed 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

6 Marras 26min

Dan Markel wasn’t just a brilliant legal scholar — he was a father fighting to protect his sons from a world he saw as dangerous, manipulative, and morally bankrupt. Before his murder in 2014, Markel was locked in an emotional and legal battle with his ex-wife Wendi Adelson’s family — a fight over where their children would live and, more importantly, what kind of people they would become. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we step into Dan Markel’s shoes and see the story from his perspective. Why did he fight so hard to keep his boys in Tallahassee? What did he see in Donna Adelson’s control, in Charlie Adelson’s arrogance, and in Wendi’s divided loyalties that terrified him? And how did a custody dispute fueled by ego and entitlement turn into one of the most shocking murder-for-hire cases in American history? Through verified court records, witness testimony, and public filings, we trace the emotional timeline of a man who believed that morality could stand up to manipulation — until the system failed him. This is the story of a father who refused to let money and power define right and wrong, and of the family who couldn’t handle the word “no.” Join Tony Brueski as he unpacks the psychological and moral dimensions of the Markel-Adelson saga — a cautionary tale about control, obsession, and the cost of doing the right thing in a world where truth isn’t enough. ⚖️ All commentary is based on publicly available testimony and court filings. Opinions expressed are analysis only; no implication of uncharged criminal conduct is intended. #DanMarkel #AdelsonFamily #WendiAdelson #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForDanMarkel #CustodyBattle #MurderForHire #TonyBrueski 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

6 Marras 16min

Fourteen-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found dead inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to chart-topping singer D4vd — but what happened between the day she disappeared and the moment that car was opened has remained one of the most disturbing mysteries of 2025. In this new Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski breakdown, we go through everything the private investigator on the case, Steve Fischer, has revealed so far — what’s confirmed, what’s speculation, and what could change everything. From the Build-A-Bear certificate dated just days after Celeste was first reported missing… to a Six Flags roller-coaster video filmed the very same day… to items discovered inside a Hollywood Hills rental home that Fischer says “had no place being there,” this episode lays out the timeline of red flags and unanswered questions piece by piece. We separate what’s officially verified by police from what’s alleged by the investigator — and explore Fischer’s working theory that Celeste’s death may have been an accidental overdose followed by a devastating cover-up. No arrests. No suspects. No final cause of death. Just a 14-year-old girl, a celebrity’s Tesla, and a silence that keeps getting louder. If you care about truth, accountability, and the systems that fail vulnerable kids, this is the one you need to hear. 🎧 Subscribe on YouTube and Apple Podcasts for continuing coverage as the toxicology report and LAPD findings come in. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #CelesteRivasHernandez #D4vd #TrueCrime #Investigation #PrivateInvestigator #Hollywood #JusticeForCeleste #SixFlags #BuildABear #LAPD #TrueCrimeToday #Podcast 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

6 Marras 14min

How does someone charged with eleven felonies — including rape and strangulation — walk away with a single year of supervision? In Stillwater, Oklahoma, 17-year-old Jesse Mack Butler attacked two teenage girls so brutally one nearly died. Police had video evidence. Doctors confirmed near-fatal injuries. Yet the court called it “rehabilitation.” In this episode, Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott unpack the psychology of protection — the denial, privilege, and misplaced empathy that let predators slip through the cracks. From family complicity to small-town bias, this is a case study in how justice fails survivors — and what it says about our collective moral blindness. Watch the full discussion and join the conversation about what true accountability should look like. #JesseButler #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #JusticeForSurvivors #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeDiscussion #PredatorPsychology #RapeCulture #TraumaInformedJustice #SystemicFailure 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

6 Marras 23min

Imagine fleeing a war as a child, arriving in America unable to speak the language — and decades later, becoming the prosecutor who takes down one of the nation’s most infamous serial killers. That’s the real-life journey of Thien Ho, Sacramento County’s District Attorney and author of The People vs. The Golden State Killer. In this Hidden Killers exclusive, Tony Brueski sits down with Ho to unpack the extraordinary story behind both the man and the case: the trauma that drove him, the promise he made to a survivor, and the moment he finally saw justice done. Ho shares never-before-heard insights into Joseph James DeAngelo’s double life — a police officer by day, a sadistic predator by night — and explains how the prosecution dismantled his decades-long facade of control. He also opens up about his personal mission to shift true crime’s focus away from the monster and toward the heroes: the survivors and investigators who never stopped fighting. It’s a conversation about justice, redemption, and the moral courage it takes to stand in the face of real evil — and win. #ThienHo #GoldenStateKiller #JosephDeAngelo #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeServed #ColdCase #SurvivorVoices #DNAJustice #EastAreaRapist 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

6 Marras 46min