Fiction on Trial: How Wendi Adelson’s Novel Helped Convict Her Mother | 2025 Year in Review

Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 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 10min

Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 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 28min

True Crime Today brings you the defense perspective on the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down where the prosecution's case is weakest — and how reasonable doubt gets built from the wreckage of a flawed investigation.Officer Brendan Miller — the department's digital forensics expert — analyzed 60 devices and concluded Christine Banfield controlled the FetLife account. Not her husband. His findings were peer-reviewed by the University of Alabama and confirmed. Then he was transferred out of the unit. The lead detective who questioned the catfishing theory was reassigned. Prosecutor Eric Clingan was removed after being cited for drinking at 8 a.m.Clingan admitted on the record that 12 homicide detectives had 24 different theories before the au pair gave her proffer. Motta explains exactly how damaging that admission is — and how the defense exploits it in front of a jury.The prosecution treats the framed photo of Brendan and Juliana as a smoking gun. They're using Banfield's IRS background to argue he knew how to stage a crime scene. Motta explains how defense attorneys flip every piece of that narrative.It took 19 months to charge Brendan Banfield. Investigators were transferred. Evidence was excluded. Theories kept changing. Motta identifies where reasonable doubt lives in this case — and what the jury should be thinking about when they walk into deliberations.#BrendanBanfield #BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #DefenseAttorney #ChristineBanfield #AuPairMurder #ReasonableDoubt #MurderTrial #CriminalDefense #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.

14 Jan 16min

David Carmichael strangled his 11-year-old son to death in 2004 after planning the killing, researching murder charges, and expecting decades in prison. The verdict? Not criminally responsible. He walked out of a psychiatric facility after about two years. The reason he's free today could be the same reason Nick Reiner avoids the death penalty—if anyone believes him.The TMZ documentary on the Reiner murders explicitly cited the legal standard that saved Carmichael. Under the M'Naghten rule used in California, the insanity defense doesn't require proving you didn't know right from wrong. It only requires proving you didn't understand the "nature and quality" of your actions. Carmichael knew killing was illegal—but in his psychotic state triggered by Paxil, he believed he was saving his son from suffering. The delusion changed what he thought he was doing.Nick Reiner's schizoaffective disorder medication was reportedly changed one month before the alleged murders after he complained about weight gain. Sources say the change destabilized him profoundly. He now reportedly admits killing his parents but believes his incarceration is a conspiracy against him. Same framework. Same legal standard.But the differences matter. Carmichael had no history of manipulation—Nick has 30 years of it. Carmichael didn't flee—Nick reportedly checked into a hotel and navigated LA for over 24 hours. The defense that freed Carmichael requires credibility. After a lifetime of gaming every system he's encountered, does Nick Reiner have any left?#NickReiner #RobReiner #DavidCarmichael #InsanityDefense #TrueCrimeToday #ReinerMurders #MNaghten #CaliforniaLaw #MentalHealth #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.

14 Jan 24min

The Brazilian au pair at the center of the Brendan Banfield murder case took the stand on Day 1 of testimony, telling jurors she watched Banfield shoot Joseph Ryan and stab his wife Christine to death in their Fairfax County home.Juliana Peres Magalhães, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for her testimony, described how she and Banfield allegedly created a fake profile on a fetish website to lure Ryan to the home. Prosecutors say Ryan believed he was meeting Christine for a consensual encounter — instead, he was allegedly framed as an intruder and killed.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who raised concerns were removed from the case. Banfield has pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder and faces life without parole if convicted.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #JulianaMagalhaes #MurderTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #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 25min

John-Paul Miller appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to charges that he cyberstalked his estranged wife Mica Miller and lied to FBI investigators. The former Solid Rock Church pastor now wears an ankle monitor and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.More than 70 people packed the Florence, South Carolina courtroom. Prosecutors argued Miller is a flight risk and a danger to the community. The judge set bond at $100,000 with strict conditions: ankle monitor, no contact with victims or witnesses, surrender his passport, no firearms, no excessive alcohol. When the hearing ended, Miller slipped out a back door while his attorneys addressed the crowd.The federal indictment details a pattern of alleged harassment spanning November 2022 through April 27, 2024 — the day Mica died. Prosecutors say Miller placed tracking devices on her vehicle, contacted her more than 50 times in a single day, interfered with her finances, posted a nude photograph of her online, and damaged her tires. When the FBI asked him about the tire damage, he denied it — but investigators had receipts showing he'd purchased a tire deflation device online.Mica Miller was 30 years old when she died at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina. She had served JP divorce papers just two days earlier. Authorities ruled her death a suicide, but the circumstances have fueled national outrage and an ongoing federal investigation.This case also connects to another death. Chris Skinner, a quadriplegic Army veteran, drowned in a Myrtle Beach pool on Labor Day 2021. His widow Suzie is now married to JP Miller. According to a sworn affidavit, Chris confronted JP about an alleged affair with his wife just two weeks before he drowned.We break down what happened in court, what these charges mean, and what's next.#JPMiller #MicaMiller #JusticeForMica #ChrisSkinner #TrueCrimeToday #FederalCharges #Cyberstalking #MyrtleBeach #SolidRockChurch #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.

14 Jan 21min

Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down the legal crisis facing Nick Reiner after celebrity attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from the double murder case. Nick is now represented by a public defender, reportedly not competent to stand trial, and facing a prosecutor who handled the Menendez resentencing and Robert Durst case.What does Alan Jackson's exit mean for the defense strategy? Sources say Jackson had 10 outstanding subpoenas when he walked away citing disagreements with his client. Bob explains what kind of client conflicts typically cause high-profile attorneys to bail—and how the defense rebuilds from here.The TMZ documentary laid out California's insanity standard: the defense doesn't need to prove Nick didn't know right from wrong, only that he didn't understand the "nature and quality" of his actions. The documentary cited David Carmichael, a father who methodically planned a killing while psychotic and was found not criminally responsible. Could that precedent apply here?Bob walks us through the medication change angle, the missing murder weapon, Nick's extended post-offense behavior, and the critical distinction between competency to stand trial and legal insanity at the time of the crime. With Nick's siblings reportedly opposed to the death penalty, how much influence does victim family sentiment have on prosecutorial decisions?#NickReiner #RobReiner #TrueCrimeToday #InsanityDefense #AlanJackson #DefenseAttorney #BobMotta #ReinerMurders #CaliforniaLaw #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.

14 Jan 30min

Idaho prosecutors have responded to Lori Vallow Daybell's appeal with a 59-page filing that systematically rejects every constitutional claim she raised. The convicted child killer argued her Sixth Amendment rights were violated when the court removed her attorney Mark Means. Prosecutors revealed Means simultaneously represented both Lori and her co-defendant husband Chad Daybell — with Chad paying the legal fees and sharing privileged information. That's a textbook conflict of interest, and the court was right to intervene. Her speedy trial claim falls apart under scrutiny: 353 days of delay came from her own competency evaluations, and she requested the venue change that added months to the timeline. The state's brief is blunt — she caused most of the delay, then complained about it. The Arizona evidence she wanted excluded proved the "dark spirit" murder pattern that connected Charles Vallow's death to the killings in Idaho. Same MO, same actors, same financial motive. Forensic testimony established JJ Vallow died of asphyxiation with a plastic bag over his head and duct tape binding his body. Tylee Ryan's remains were burned beyond recognition. Their mother collected Social Security benefits for months after they were dead. Chad Daybell sits on death row. Lori Vallow is serving three consecutive life sentences. This appeal won't change that.#LoriVallowDaybell #ChadDaybell #BreakingNews #TrueCrime #IdahoMurders #Appeal #CultMom #JJVallow #TyleeRyan #CourtNewsJoin 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