The Fall of “Mr. Crafty Pants”: From DIY Star to Criminal Charges

The Gilgo Beach murders shocked the nation. The arrest of Rex Heuermann — the quiet Long Island architect accused of being a serial killer — was supposed to bring answers. Instead, it’s brought more questions. Two years later, there’s still no trial date. Why? Because behind the headlines, the justice system is waging a silent war. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we dig into the real reasons justice has stalled. Prosecutors are relying on cutting-edge DNA pulled from rootless hairs — a first for New York courts. Defense attorneys call it “junk science.” The judge allowed it, but that ruling unleashed months of follow-up litigation: new motions, new hearings, new expert reports. Every microscopic detail is being challenged to make sure the case can survive appeal. Then there’s the consolidation — seven murders, one trial. That decision means every chain of custody, every test, every autopsy from 1993 to 2010 has to hold up together. Add old phone records, outdated forensics, and a DA’s office desperate to restore its credibility, and you get one of the most complicated homicide prosecutions in modern history. This isn’t justice delayed. It’s justice under construction — a slow, grinding fight between science, law, and time itself. Tony Brueski breaks down the psychology, the strategy, and the human toll of a case that refuses to move fast. Why is the state taking its time? What’s happening behind the scenes? And what happens if the science fails? Watch now to understand why the waiting matters. #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #DNAEvidence #JusticeDelayed #TonyBrueski #CrimePodcast #SerialKillerCase #ForensicScience 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

4 Marras 18min

Security footage: a nine-year-old in a gray hoodie and wig beside her mother at a Lompoc rental-car counter. Three days later, the mother returns — alone. In this Hidden Killers round-table, Tony Brueski and the team dissect the road-trip timeline that has investigators racing from California to Nebraska and Kansas. Why disguise a child? Why drive 1,500 miles and come home without her? And why hasn’t Ashlee Buzzard been charged? We’ll walk through the digital trail — credit-card pings, cell data, GPS logs, and OnStar records — the forensic bread crumbs the FBI is now reconstructing minute by minute. We’ll also examine what investigators look for in recovered vehicles, why restraint in arrests sometimes protects a case, and how public pressure can derail careful forensic work. This isn’t speculation — it’s a forensic autopsy of a mystery still unfolding. #HiddenKillers #MelodeeBuzzard #AshleeBuzzard #TonyBrueski #FBI #TrueCrimePodcast #MissingPerson #Lompoc #Nebraska #ForensicInvestigation #DigitalForensics #GroupDiscussion 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

4 Marras 24min

In the shocking aftermath of Donna Adelson’s life sentence and Charlie Adelson’s conviction, one name still hangs in the air: Wendi Adelson. Dan Markel was murdered in 2014, shot in his Tallahassee driveway amid a vicious custody battle. The plot has been proven. The masterminds have been convicted. The money trail is mapped. And yet, the woman at the center of the motive — Wendi Adelson, Markel’s ex-wife — remains uncharged. Why? In this Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski deep-dive, we break down what could actually trigger charges against Wendi. From the missing digital breadcrumbs investigators are still hunting for, to the financial threads that could expose her involvement, to the possibility that her own mother might one day flip — this is the story of how close the final Adelson may be to losing her freedom. We examine the fragile line between suspicion and evidence, the psychological toll of living as the “unindicted co-conspirator,” and the quiet calculations happening behind the scenes at the State Attorney’s Office. What happens if Donna decides to talk? If an old phone backup surfaces? If a single email connects the dots? This episode doesn’t speculate — it investigates. We strip away the noise to reveal the three triggers that could finally end Wendi Adelson’s long run outside the courtroom:  1️⃣ A digital link proving coordination.  2️⃣ A financial trail tying her to the payoff.  3️⃣ A cooperating witness naming her outright. Until one of those surfaces, Wendi remains the Adelson who walked free. But freedom built on silence doesn’t last forever. Hit Subscribe for more true-crime breakdowns, psychological analysis, and expert commentary — and listen ad-free on Apple Podcasts Premium. #WendiAdelson #DanMarkel #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimeToday #TonyBrueski #FloridaCrime #FSUProfessorMurder #MurderForHire #JusticeForDanMarkel #TrueCrimePodcast #LegalAnalysis #PsychologicalProfiling 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

4 Marras 16min

How does a child disappear while every agency insists it’s “following policy”? Tonight on Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski and the panel trace the bureaucratic breakdown that let Melodee Buzzard, 9, fade from every official record. Complaints were filed. CPS was warned. The school marked her “independent study.” And still, no one saw her for more than a year. We unpack the entire chain of failure — from overloaded caseworkers and loophole homeschooling laws to judges demanding “visible danger” before approving removals. The grandmother reported rotting food and filth; social workers logged a “monitor.” By the time anyone knocked again, Melodee was gone. Now the FBI is digging through her mother’s Lompoc home, a storage unit, and a rental car that traveled 1,500 miles — searching for proof of what happened. This isn’t just one tragedy. It’s a blueprint for how neglect hides in plain sight when red tape replaces common sense. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #MelodeeBuzzard #CPS #ChildProtection #California #SystemFailure #TrueCrimeToday #LawAndCrime #MissingChild #FBIInvestigation #GroupDiscussion 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

4 Marras 33min