Trauma, Fear, and Accountability: Shavaun Scott on the Psychology of ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Killer-WEEK IN REVIEW

A 6-year-old brought a gun to class. His teacher, Abby Zwerner, ended the day in a hospital — shot through the chest and hand in front of her first graders. But what’s unfolding now inside a Virginia courtroom is almost more shocking than the shooting itself. This isn’t just a story about a child with a gun — it’s a story about four separate warnings ignored by school officials who had every chance to stop it. Teachers and staff begged Assistant Principal Ebony Parker to act. They told her the boy might be armed. They saw him put something heavy in his backpack. One even asked to search it. Parker allegedly refused — saying his “pockets were too small.” Hours later, a gun went off. Now, as the $40 million negligence trial plays out, jurors are watching the district try to explain the unexplainable. The plaintiff’s team presented bodycam footage showing the chaotic aftermath — but only outside the jury’s view — while the defense fights to keep that footage out, calling it “too prejudicial.” Tony Brueski pulls back the curtain on the trial that could redefine school accountability across America. What happens when administrators put reputation over responsibility? When “policy” replaces basic human instinct? When a teacher bleeds out because a school was too afraid to act? Zwerner’s lawyers say this wasn’t a freak tragedy — it was institutional failure in slow motion. And for the first time, the people who ignored the warnings are on the stand. This is the trial the entire education system should be watching — because it’s not just about one teacher in Virginia. It’s about every school that hears the alarm and chooses silence. #HiddenKillers #AbbyZwerner #SchoolShooting #Trial #Virginia #RichneckElementary #Negligence #EducationSystem #JusticeForTeachers #TrueCrimePodcast 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

2 Nov 21min

Virginia Giuffre’s memoir Nobody’s Girl doesn’t just tell a story—it indicts an entire system built on power, grooming, and silence. In this episode of Hidden Killers Live, Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels sits down with FBI veteran Robin Dreeke to map out how the Epstein-Maxwell machine turned trauma into obedience and money into immunity. Dreeke unpacks every psychological layer: how parental betrayal created lifelong vulnerability, how Maxwell’s “female reassurance” normalized exploitation, and how fear—not force—enslaved an entire network of victims. He also explores why Giuffre’s brutal honesty about recruiting other girls actually proves her credibility, and what that means for how investigators should interpret survivor testimony going forward. It’s an unflinching breakdown of the behavioral playbook behind one of the darkest crimes of our generation—and a warning that the machinery of silence is still running. #VirginiaGiuffre #JeffreyEpstein #GhislaineMaxwell #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #Trafficking #BehavioralAnalysis #FBI #TrueCrimePodcast #SurvivorPsychology #NobodyGirl 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

2 Nov 52min

Kada Scott should still be alive. But under Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, justice isn’t blind — it’s asleep. In this in-depth investigation, Tony Brueski breaks down the horrific chain of failures that allowed Keon King, a man already charged with kidnapping and strangulation, to walk free on low bail… and allegedly kill Kada Scott just months later. This episode exposes how Larry Krasner’s so-called “progressive reform” has turned Philadelphia’s justice system into a revolving door — where violent offenders walk, victims die, and the DA’s office hides behind slogans about compassion and root causes. We follow the trail from the earlier dropped case against King, to the bail “error” that Krasner now calls “probably incorrect,” to the chilling truth: this death was preventable. And Kada Scott isn’t the only casualty. From the slaying of Philadelphia Police Corporal James O’Connor by another released gun offender, to the hundreds of violent cases dismissed or lost, the pattern is clear — ideology has replaced accountability. Philadelphia deserves a DA who protects the innocent, not excuses the guilty.  If you believe in justice, in public safety, in the idea that compassion means protecting the next victim before it’s too late — then listen to this. Larry Krasner’s record isn’t about reform. It’s about failure. And if you live in Philadelphia, the power to stop it is in your hands. Vote. Demand better. Because Kada Scott deserved better. 🔔 Subscribe for more truth-driven commentary from Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski.  👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔁 Share — your voice matters. 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

2 Nov 19min

Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard vanished after a mysterious three-day road trip with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, in early October 2025. Surveillance footage shows Melodee wearing a dark wig and hoodie at a California car-rental counter on October 7. Ashlee rented a white Chevy Malibu (plate CA 9MNG101), drove more than 1,500 miles to Nebraska, and returned alone on October 10. Four days later, on October 14, the Lompoc Unified School District reported the child’s prolonged absence. Deputies found Ashlee Buzzard at her home — but no Melodee. Officials say she has not provided a verifiable explanation and remains uncooperative. The FBI has joined the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, classifying Melodee as an “at-risk missing child.” In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, Tony examines the mounting evidence, the haunting disguise footage, and the public’s growing frustration that no arrest has been made. How can a mother drive across state lines with her child, return alone, and face no charges? Why hasn’t an AMBER Alert been issued? What does her silence tell investigators — and what does it hide? Join Tony for a raw, in-depth breakdown of a case that exposes the gaps in our missing-child system. Hear how the FBI is tracing license-plate readers, cell-site data, and rental-car GPS logs to piece together Melodee’s final known route. This story isn’t about custody disputes — it’s about accountability, and a little girl who deserves to be found. If you have information about Melodee Buzzard or Ashlee Buzzard’s travel between October 7 and 10, contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office (805-681-4150) or the FBI (1-800-CALL-FBI / tips.fbi.gov). #MelodeeBuzzard #MissingChild #AshleeBuzzard #FBI #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrime #Lompoc #SantaBarbara #AtRiskChild #Investigation If you saw anything—any sighting of Ashlee Buzzard or a young girl between October 7 and October 10—call the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4150, or their anonymous line at (805) 681-4171, or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Because the truth is simple: silence protects no one. And until the silence breaks, Melodee Buzzard is still missing. And that should haunt every single one of us. 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

2 Nov 20min

Two stories. One broken system. In Idaho, Bryan Kohberger could legally make money off his own murders. In Virginia, a first-grade teacher named Abby Zwerner was shot after four separate warnings were ignored. Both stories show how America’s justice system has traded accountability for excuses — and how law, morality, and bureaucracy keep collapsing under their own contradictions. Tony Brueski and former prosecutor Eric Faddis connect these cases in one of their most morally charged episodes yet. The first half, When Infamy Becomes an Industry, explores how constitutional loopholes turned the First Amendment into a profit shield for convicted killers. The Supreme Court’s Simon & Schuster decision gutted Son of Sam laws nationwide — and states like Idaho never replaced them. Tony and Eric unpack how “free speech” became a business plan for murderers and why politicians are too afraid to fix a law that lets killers cash checks while victims’ families get nothing. The second half, The Price of Ignorance, turns the spotlight on institutional cowardice. In Newport News, Virginia, teacher Abby Zwerner was nearly killed after school officials ignored every warning about an armed six-year-old. Tony and Eric examine how fear of optics, legal liability, and self-preservation led to tragedy — and what that means for every teacher still walking into a classroom unprotected. Together, these stories reveal a single truth: justice in America doesn’t end at the verdict — it just changes platforms. Whether it’s a killer monetizing murder or a school hiding behind procedure, the result is the same. Profit over pain. Policy over people. #BryanKohberger #AbbyZwerner #TrueCrime #JusticeSystem #SonOfSam #SchoolShooting #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #VictimsRights #CrimePodcast #LegalAnalysis #WhenJusticeFails #FreeSpeech #Accountability 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

2 Nov 52min

Before there was a “haunted house,” there was a family. And before The Amityville Horror became a pop-culture phenomenon, there was a very real crime scene — six members of the DeFeo family, murdered in their beds on November 13, 1974. In this Hidden Killers deep-dive, Tony Brueski strips away the myth and exposes the true story of Ronald DeFeo Jr. — the 23-year-old son who turned a picture-perfect Long Island home into one of the darkest chapters in American true-crime history. This isn’t about ghosts. It’s about control, pressure, and collapse inside a family that looked flawless from the outside. Through court records, trial transcripts, and eyewitness accounts, we unravel the DeFeo family’s life before the murders — a world of strict rules, generational pride, and a father-son relationship that spiraled from conflict to catastrophe. What happened inside 112 Ocean Avenue wasn’t supernatural. It was psychological. A slow burn of resentment, addiction, and identity loss that ended with a rifle and six bodies. Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr. claimed he heard voices telling him to kill. The jury didn’t believe him. He was convicted on six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to six consecutive life terms. He died in prison in 2021 — leaving behind a trail of lies, contradictions, and one chilling constant: he never showed remorse. Decades later, the Amityville myth still overshadows the truth. This episode reclaims it. Because before it was a franchise, it was a family. And the real horror wasn’t the house — it was what happened inside it. 📺 Watch now and hear the story behind the legend — the DeFeos, the murders, and the night the American Dream died. #AmityvilleMurders #DeFeoFamily #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersPodcast #TonyBrueski #Amityville #RonaldDeFeo #TrueCrimeCommunity #RealHorrorStory #AmericanTrueCrime 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

2 Nov 15min

In a quiet Virginia suburb, what looked like a perfect family hid something unthinkable. When police walked into the Banfield home in Herndon, they found 37-year-old nurse Christine Banfield stabbed to death and 39-year-old Joseph Ryan shot in the head. Her husband, former IRS agent Brendan Banfield, claimed it was self-defense — that Ryan had broken in and attacked his wife. But investigators soon discovered the scene was staged. Christine had never met Joseph Ryan. In reality, he had been lured to the house through a fetish site called FetLife, believing he was meeting Christine for a consensual role-play encounter. The account that contacted him used her photo and name — but wasn’t her. It was allegedly created by her husband. Living in that same home was their Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, who was having an affair with Brendan. She later admitted to helping orchestrate the meeting — and described the entire deadly plan as “part of the game.” Prosecutors say the “game” was a plot to kill Christine and stage it as a home invasion gone wrong. Both Christine and Joseph Ryan ended up dead. Juliana has since pled guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Brendan Banfield, who now faces aggravated murder charges in Fairfax County. His trial, most recently delayed, is set for January 13, 2026. In this Hidden Killers deep dive, Tony Brueski exposes the chilling story behind the façade of suburban normalcy — how power, fantasy, and control converged into one of Virginia’s most disturbing murder cases. This isn’t a story about sex. It’s a story about manipulation, obsession, and the fatal delusion of control. Because when you start to play God, eventually, someone bleeds for it. #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #BanfieldCase #JulianaMagalhaes #ChristineBanfield #BrendanBanfield #JosephRyan #VirginiaCrime #TonyBrueski #CrimePodcast #FetishMurder #HerndonCrime #MurderCase #TrueCrimeStories 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

1 Nov 18min