The Cruise Cabin Mystery: What Happened to Anna Kepner?

The Brendan Banfield murder trial begins today in Fairfax County, Virginia — and before testimony even starts, this case has problems. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins True Crime Today to examine an investigation that's already under fire. Here's what we know: Officer Brendan Miller, the department's digital forensics expert, analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine Banfield controlled the FetLife account — not her husband Brendan. His work was peer-reviewed by the University of Alabama. Confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the digital forensics unit. According to testimony, Deputy Chief Brusch told him he'd never work another case like this. The lead homicide detective who questioned the catfishing theory was also reassigned. Prosecutor Eric Clingan admitted there were 24 different theories among 12 detectives until the au pair gave her proffer. The child's forensic interview was excluded from evidence. And Clingan himself was removed after being found drinking at 8 a.m. Coffindaffer has spent her career building federal cases. She knows what solid police work looks like and what confirmation bias looks like. In this interview, she breaks down the timeline, the evidence collection gaps, and what the FBI would have done differently. If the defense is right that this is "a theory in search of facts," Coffindaffer will tell you why.#BrendanBanfield #TrueCrimeToday #JenniferCoffindaffer #FBI #ChristineBanfield #AuPairMurder #VirginiaHomicide #MurderTrial #TrueCrimeNews #CriminalJusticeJoin 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.

13 Jan 12min

The Prosecution & Defence gave opening statements today in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #JulianaMagalhaes #Justice #BreakingJoin 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.

13 Jan 27min

Day 5 of the Adrian Gonzales trial took a sharp turn when defense attorney Nico LaHood cross-examined surviving teacher Arnulfo Reyes — and got him to admit the unlocked classroom door was his responsibility. Reyes, who lost all eleven students in his Room 111 class during the May 24, 2022 massacre, had just finished devastating testimony about watching a "black shadow" enter his classroom, being shot twice, having his blood splashed on his face, and lying among dead children for 77 minutes. Then the defense went to work. LaHood established that multiple doors at Robb Elementary were unlocked that day — including the exterior door the shooter used to enter, and the door to Reyes' own classroom. When asked directly who was responsible for locking Room 111, Reyes answered: "That would be my responsibility." Reyes pushed back, explaining he didn't recognize the sounds as gunfire until the gun was already in his classroom, that he'd reported a malfunctioning door prior to May 24th, and that the school's Raptor safety app never alerted him. But the defense has made its strategy clear: Adrian Gonzales isn't the only one who allegedly failed these children. Earlier, Texas Rangers testified about the tactical nightmare officers faced — a "fatal funnel" hallway with no cover. The prosecution countered by getting Ranger Terry Snyder to say that when officers hear shooting, they "run to the shooting." Gonzales faces 29 counts of child endangerment. This trial could set precedent for police accountability nationwide. Reyes continues testimony Tuesday.#TrueCrimeToday #GonzalesTrial #UvaldeTexas #ArnulfoReyes #NicoLaHood #RobbElementary #PoliceAccountability #TrueCrimeNews #CourtroomShowdown #UvaldeShootingJoin 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.

13 Jan 16min

True Crime Today covers the latest bombshell developments in the Nick Reiner case. Sources tell TMZ that Nick reportedly admits to killing Rob and Michele Reiner—but doesn't understand why he's in jail. He allegedly believes the people who incarcerated him are engaged in a conspiracy against him.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to analyze what this means for the investigation and the inevitable insanity defense. Nick's medication for schizoaffective disorder was reportedly changed about a month before the murders because he complained of weight gain. According to the TMZ documentary, his meds still aren't stabilized and jail doctors are still trying to figure it out.The Reiner family reportedly spent a fortune on dual-diagnosis treatment facilities over the years. But Nick would only stay 30 days—long enough to get clean off drugs but not long enough to address the underlying mental illness. Dr. Drew Pinsky called 30 days "almost meaningless" for someone with Nick's history and suggested he needed permanent custodial care.Other key developments: The murder weapon has not been found. LAPD sealed the autopsy reports on Christmas Eve. Nick checked into a Santa Monica hotel after the alleged killings before being found wandering near USC the next night. And the prosecutor assigned to the case is Habib Balian—who handled Menendez and Durst.Coffindaffer explains how investigators evaluate insanity claims, what Nick's behavior reveals, and why this case may take years to resolve.#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #FBI #Murder #InsanityDefense #Schizoaffective #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrime #InvestigationJoin 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.

13 Jan 22min

On November 29, 2025, 19-year-old Brianna Aguilera fell from a 17th-floor balcony at the 21 Rio Apartments in Austin, Texas. She had been in town for the Texas A&M vs. Texas football game, tailgating with friends before ending up at a friend's apartment in West Campus. By 1 a.m., she was dead. Five days later, Austin Police declared it a suicide — without a completed autopsy, without toxicology results, and without processing a rape kit that had been collected.Her family says that's not good enough.Attorney Tony Buzbee, representing Brianna's parents, has publicly accused APD of conducting a "lazy" and "shoddy" investigation. A neighbor who lived across the hall has come forward claiming she heard screaming, arguing, and what sounded like a fight on the balcony in the minutes before Brianna went over. That same neighbor says police never entered the apartment and never interviewed her.Now the family has filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association — the organizations that hosted the tailgate where Brianna was allegedly overserved alcohol despite being underage. But the lawsuit isn't just about accountability. It's about access — to witnesses, phone records, and evidence the family believes APD ignored.Brianna's mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, says her daughter was afraid of heights and would never have jumped. She's calling for a second autopsy and demanding the Texas Rangers take over the investigation.Was this a suicide? An accident? Or something worse? The answers aren't in yet — and that's exactly the problem.#BriannaAguilera #TexasAM #AustinPolice #TonyBuzbee #WrongfulDeathLawsuit #TrueCrimeToday #Justice #CrimePodcast #BreakingNews #InvestigationJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

13 Jan 18min

Two killings. Two sets of warnings. Two victims who knew the person who would end their lives — and still didn't see it coming.Nick Reiner's schizophrenia medication was changed three to four weeks before he allegedly stabbed his parents to death. His mother Michele had been telling friends they were at their wits' end. The night before the murders, his behavior at Conan O'Brien's party was so alarming his parents left early after a shouting match. By December 14th, Rob and Michele Reiner were dead in their Brentwood home.A lawyer warned Judge Kevin Mullins directly that Sheriff Mickey Stines was falling apart. Mullins did nothing. Days before the shooting, Stines gave a tense deposition in a lawsuit connecting both men to allegations of sexual misconduct. They had lunch together the day of the killing. Then Mullins was dead in his chambers.Former FBI Behavioral Analysis Chief Robin Dreeke joins True Crime Today to examine what these cases teach us about why people fail to act on obvious red flags — especially when the threat is someone they trust. We break down the behavioral patterns, the institutional blind spots, and why having all the information in the world doesn't always save you from someone determined to do harm.#RobinDreeke #NickReiner #MickeyStines #TrueCrimeToday #FBI #RobReiner #KevinMullins #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrime #MentalHealthJoin 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

13 Jan 49min

The Brendan Banfield murder trial begins Monday, January 12th, 2026. This is the complete breakdown of the case before opening statements.On February 24, 2023, police found Christine Banfield, 37, stabbed to death in her Herndon, Virginia bedroom. Joseph Ryan, 39, lay feet away — shot twice by two different guns. Christine was nude. Ryan was fully clothed. A knife, two firearms, and fetish sex accessories were scattered around the room. The Banfields' 4-year-old daughter was in the basement.Prosecutors allege Brendan Banfield, an IRS criminal investigator, conspired with the family's au pair Juliana Peres Magalhaes to murder his wife. They say the pair created a fake FetLife profile in Christine's name to lure Ryan to the house, then killed them both and staged it to look like self-defense against a home invader.But Fairfax County Police's own digital forensics expert contradicted that theory. Officer Brendan Miller analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine appeared to be the one controlling the account. His findings were peer-reviewed and confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the unit.The prosecution's star witness is Juliana, who changed her story after a year in jail and got a deal to walk free if she testifies. She wrote to her mother: "I'm heartbroken for doing this to Brendan... But it's the right thing to do. For you. I want to be with you again."The lead prosecutor was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m. Key evidence has been excluded. Defense attorney John Carroll says this is "a theory in search of facts."Four weeks. Cameras in the courtroom. A nurse and an innocent man are dead. The trial starts now.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairMurder #ChristineBanfield #HerndonVirginia #MurderTrial #JulianaMagalhaes #FetLifeMurder #TrueCrimeNews #FairfaxCountyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

13 Jan 33min

Days before Mickey Stines killed Judge Kevin Mullins, he sat for a deposition in a lawsuit accusing his deputies of sexual misconduct — misconduct that allegedly happened in Mullins' chambers. The deposition was described as "tense." Then Mullins was dead. And fifteen months later, still no official motive.Robin Dreeke spent his FBI career understanding what happens when people feel trapped. When exposure threatens everything. When pressure finds its breaking point. He joins True Crime Today to examine what may have really driven this killing — and what the silence around motive tells us about who's being protected.#MickeyStines #TrueCrimeToday #RobinDreeke #FBI #KevinMullins #TrueCrimeNews #Leverage #CourthouseShootingJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

12 Jan 13min