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

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’re revisiting two defining moments in the unraveling of the Adelson family empire — moments that exposed not only the legal chaos behind the Dan Markel murder case, but the chilling psychology that fueled it.

In this special combined episode, Tony Brueski dissects Donna Adelson’s courtroom performance of a lifetime — a bond hearing turned one-woman show where the alleged murder-for-hire mastermind painted herself as the real victim. Frail, misunderstood, and oh-so-tragically sleepless behind bars, Donna leaned hard into self-pity, deflection, and emotional theater. But beneath the trembling voice and the laundry list of ailments was something far more dangerous: covert narcissism in action.

We break down the key moments from her testimony — from her evasive answers to her complete absence of remorse — and unpack how her manipulative tactics mirror the textbook behaviors of covert narcissists. Victim-playing. Reality-twisting. Emotional control disguised as vulnerability. It’s not just courtroom drama — it’s psychological warfare.

Then, we turn to the legal front lines, where Donna’s defense team fought to block over 560 pages of divorce records between her daughter Wendi Adelson and slain law professor Dan Markel. The argument? That the bitter custody battle fueling years of tension was “irrelevant.” Prosecutors, however, say it’s the very foundation of motive — the powder keg that led to murder.

While Donna’s attorneys tried to keep the narrative tidy, the state saw through it — reminding the court that this “frail grandmother” once tried to board a one-way international flight. And as motions pile up and family ties fracture, it’s becoming clear: this isn’t just about one murder. It’s about a legacy of manipulation, control, and denial finally colliding with accountability.

From psychological breakdowns to legal takedowns, this Year in Review episode captures the full scope of the Adelson implosion — a story where justice, narcissism, and family loyalty all share the same DNA.

🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, the Lies, and the Consequences That Defined the Year.


#DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #WendiAdelson #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderForHire #CourtroomDrama #Narcissism #LegalAnalysis #HiddenKillersYearInReview #JusticeForDanMarkel #TrueCrimeToday


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Episoder(500)

Juliana Peres Magalhães,Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Juliana Peres Magalhães,Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Juliana Peres Magalhães, former Banfield au pair, took the stand 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.

14 Jan 1h 48min

Dr. Meghan Kessler Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Dr. Meghan Kessler Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Dr. Meghan Kessler, Forensics Pathologist, took the stand 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.

14 Jan 59min

Michael Gibbons Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Michael Gibbons Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Michael Gibbons, Fairfax County Police Lt., took the stand 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.

14 Jan 21min

Zachary Beckner Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Zachary Beckner Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Zachary Beckner, Fairfax Co. Police Officer, took the stand 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.

14 Jan 27min

Nick Reiner Says It's a CONSPIRACY — Here's Why He's Right (And Why It Doesn't Help Him)

Nick Reiner Says It's a CONSPIRACY — Here's Why He's Right (And Why It Doesn't Help Him)

True Crime Today examines the twisted logic behind Nick Reiner's reported belief that he's the victim of a conspiracy. Sources told TMZ that Nick admits to killing his parents Rob and Michele Reiner—but allegedly doesn't understand why he's incarcerated. He reportedly believes the people who put him behind bars are conspiring against him.Tony Brueski argues that Nick is actually correct. There has been a conspiracy. For 32 years.The conspiracy was every system that protected Nick from consequences. More than 18 rehab stays where he'd get clean just long enough to leave and use again. Doctors who changed his schizoaffective disorder medication because he complained about weight gain. Treatment facilities that took the Reiners' money and released him after 30 days—long enough to detox, not long enough to treat the underlying illness. A family that had "grown used to" behavior that alarmed everyone else.The conspiracy was FOR Nick Reiner, not against him. And it worked beautifully until December 14th, when he allegedly killed the only two people willing to keep it running.Now the conspiracy has flipped. Alan Jackson walked away. The family isn't funding the defense. Prosecutor Habib Balian—who handled Menendez and Durst—is on the case. For the first time in Nick's life, the system is working against him instead of for him.To someone who's never faced real accountability, that probably does feel like persecution. But that's not conspiracy. That's justice. And the only question now is whether it finally sticks.#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #Conspiracy #Murder #InsanityDefense #Justice #TrueCrime #Accountability #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.

14 Jan 14min

Banfield Trial: FBI Agent Analyzes Au Pair Plea Deal & Star Witness Problems | Coffindaffer Pt 2

Banfield Trial: FBI Agent Analyzes Au Pair Plea Deal & Star Witness Problems | Coffindaffer Pt 2

The prosecution's case against Brendan Banfield lives or dies with Juliana Peres Magalhaes. She's the only witness who says he planned the murders. She's also the woman who took a plea deal that lets her walk free if she delivers. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins True Crime Today to analyze the credibility of a star witness with everything to gain and nothing to lose. Juliana was charged with murder. She spent a year in jail telling police the same story Brendan did — that Joseph Ryan was an intruder and they shot him in self-defense. Then she changed her story. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter. She got time served. She gets deported to Brazil. Her sentencing is scheduled after Banfield's trial to ensure continued cooperation. In a letter from jail, she wrote that she was "heartbroken for doing this to Brendan" and that she loved him. But she wanted to be with her mother again. Coffindaffer has worked with cooperating witnesses throughout her FBI career. In this interview, she explains how prosecutors prepare a witness whose motivation to lie is obvious, what corroborating evidence the jury should demand, and how the defense will try to destroy Juliana's credibility on cross-examination. The prosecution claims Juliana was reluctant and told it was "too late to back out." The defense says she's lying to save herself. The jury decides.#BrendanBanfield #TrueCrimeToday #JulianaPeresMagalhaes #JenniferCoffindaffer #FBI #AuPairMurder #PleaDeal #StarWitness #MurderTrial #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.

13 Jan 11min

Justin Hugh Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Justin Hugh Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"

Justin Hugh, a Detective with the Fairfax County PD, took the stand 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 19min

BREAKING: All Four Idaho Murder Families Sue WSU — Professor Warned Kohberger Was "A Predator"

BREAKING: All Four Idaho Murder Families Sue WSU — Professor Warned Kohberger Was "A Predator"

The families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin have united to file a massive lawsuit against Washington State University. The 126-page complaint alleges WSU ignored at least 13 formal complaints about Bryan Kohberger's predatory behavior in the months before he murdered four students.The details are staggering. A professor warned colleagues that Kohberger would become a stalker and sexual abuser if given his degree. Women on campus developed emergency protocols — "911" subject lines, escort systems, door strategies — because the institution wouldn't protect them. One student fled into a bathroom to hide from him. Another ran from a classroom in tears after he verbally attacked her.Five days before the murders, WSU held mandatory discrimination training for Kohberger's cohort. The lawsuit alleges a supervisor worried that firing Kohberger could expose WSU to legal action — so they kept him employed, housed, and on campus with full access to students.The families are seeking accountability under Title IX, wrongful death claims, and gross negligence. Their attorneys call what happened "foreseeable — and, in fact, predictable."This episode breaks down the lawsuit, the timeline, and the institutional failures that the families say allowed a known threat to escalate into tragedy.#BryanKohberger #WSULawsuit #IdahoMurders #TrueCrimeToday #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #BreakingNews #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.

13 Jan 21min

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