Exposing Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Loophole: The Jesse Butler Breakdown

How does a man live under the same roof as his wife and children while allegedly carrying out seven brutal murders over nearly three decades? In this powerful two-part breakdown, we bring together two of the nation’s leading experts on human behavior—former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott—to explain how Rex Heuermann may have maintained one of the most disturbing double lives in modern true crime. Robin Dreeke opens the episode with a deep dive into the psychology of compartmentalization, truth-default theory, and why spouses detect lies only about 50% of the time. He explains how Heuermann allegedly created a split existence: family man in Massapequa Park, predator operating in secrecy when his wife and children were out of town. Burner phones, controlled finances, rigid routines—each played into the illusion of normalcy. Dreeke draws critical parallels to notorious cases like BTK, revealing the subtle relationship red flags that can be missed even by those closest to the perpetrator. Then psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins to analyze the chilling emotional dynamic captured in the Peacock documentary. Asa Ellerup’s unwavering loyalty—even calling Rex her “hero”—opens a window into trauma bonding, coercive control, and the psychological grooming that can turn a spouse into an unknowing enabler. From Asa’s isolation to tightly restricted access to finances and technology, Scott exposes the mechanisms that may have kept her locked inside Heuermann’s constructed reality. Together, these insights reveal not just how a predator allegedly concealed his crimes, but how ordinary families can be pulled into extraordinary darkness without ever recognizing the danger. For anyone concerned about relationship safety, manipulation, or hidden abuse, this episode offers crucial perspective—and a sobering look at the human cost behind one of America’s most haunting serial killer cases. #RexHeuermann #SerialKillerPsychology #GilgoBeachMurders #AsaEllerup #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeAnalysis #DoubleLife #TraumaBonding #HiddenKillersPodcast 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

25 Des 36min

The verdict dropped — and the courtroom snapped to attention. In this full, uncut Hidden Killers upload, you’ll see the exact moment Donna Adelson reacted to being found guilty, followed immediately by the judge warning her she would be removed from the courtroom if the behavior continued. No edits, no cuts, no commentary layered over the moment itself — just the raw courtroom footage exactly as it unfolded. After the clip, Tony Brueski breaks down the legal mechanics behind what you just witnessed:  • Why judges issue removal threats  • What qualifies as disruptive courtroom conduct  • How jurors interpret emotional outbursts at the precise moment of a verdict  • And how the defense may attempt to frame her reaction later We also walk through the critical evidence and themes emphasized during closings — the motive, the timeline, the financial trail, the digital patterns — and how those elements likely connected to the jury’s decision. If you’ve followed this case since day one, this gives you the final puzzle piece. If you're joining now, this is the clearest entry point into understanding why the verdict unfolded the way it did. Finally, we look ahead to what happens next:  • Post-verdict motions  • The path to sentencing  • What grounds (if any) exist for appeal  • How the court handles a defendant who reacts poorly at critical procedural moments This is a clean, factual, legally grounded explainer — no speculation, no dramatization, no graphic content. Just the reality of what happens when a high-profile defendant hears the verdict that will shape the rest of her life. Drop your questions below — we’re pulling viewer comments for the next live breakdown. #DonnaAdelson #AdelsonTrial #DanMarkel #Verdict #CourtroomDrama #HiddenKillers #TrialAnalysis #Justice #TrueCrime #LegalCommentary 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

25 Des 59min

In this episode, we take a hard look at the second police interrogation of Richard Allen and the claims investigators made about ballistics evidence. Authorities described the forensic link between Allen’s firearm and a bullet allegedly recovered near the Delphi crime scene as ironclad. But experts have repeatedly warned that this type of comparison is far more fragile than the public is led to believe. We break down why this ambiguity matters, how overstated science can shape an interrogation, and how investigators used these claims to amplify psychological pressure in the room. Despite being confronted with confident assertions about gun evidence, Allen maintained his innocence throughout questioning. His refusal to accept the narrative being pushed at him raises a deeper question: How much weight should be placed on a form of forensic testing that many specialists view as subjective at best? We also examine Allen’s deteriorating mental state during more than a year spent in solitary confinement—conditions typically reserved for the most dangerous offenders, not individuals awaiting trial. His jailhouse phone calls reveal a man unraveling: confused, disoriented, desperate for relief. At his lowest moments, Allen even tells his wife he would falsely confess if it would end their suffering, highlighting the devastating psychological toll isolation can inflict. This episode forces listeners to confront uncomfortable truths about interrogation tactics, the limits of ballistics evidence, and the immense pressure a vulnerable suspect can face inside the criminal justice system. It’s a stark reminder of how quickly the presumption of innocence can erode when a system leans harder on coercion than clarity. #DelphiCase #RichardAllen #TrueCrimeNews #BallisticsEvidence #InterrogationAnalysis #SolitaryConfinement #JusticeSystemFailure #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #DueProcessRights 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

25 Des 1h 5min

In this 2025 Year-in-Review Hidden Killers special, Tony Brueski breaks down one of the most talked-about courtroom moments of the year: the opening statements in the high-stakes murder-for-hire trial of Donna Adelson. From the prosecution’s meticulously crafted narrative to the defense’s chaotic stumble out of the gate, this episode captures the full shockwave of a trial Florida—and the nation—can’t stop watching. Prosecutors came out swinging, painting Donna not as a grieving grandmother swept into family conflict, but as the driving force behind the plot to kill Florida State law professor Dan Markel. They laid out motive, money, resentment, and years of escalating family turmoil. Emails revealed Donna’s relentless pressure to relocate her daughter Wendi and the grandchildren to South Florida—pressure she once described as something she would “never, never, never give up” on. When persuasion failed, the State argues, she turned to a six-figure murder contract. The prosecution previewed phone records, financial trails, incriminating communications, and Donna’s attempted one-way trip to Vietnam—presented not as coincidence, but as a calculated escape once the walls began to close in. Then came the defense. Their opening statement—highly anticipated after the State’s precision—landed with a thud. Instead of offering a coherent counter-narrative, the defense drifted, circled, and repeated the same hollow refrain: “There is no evidence.” Attorney Jackie Fulford attempted to cast Donna as an innocent grandmother caught in her son Charlie’s orbit, but the argument lacked structure, clarity, and force. Jurors appeared disengaged. Moments meant to reassure instead highlighted inconsistencies the prosecution is eager to exploit. This unified breakdown captures the full scope of a pivotal moment in the 2025 trial landscape: a prosecution ready for battle and a defense already fighting to regain footing. Is Donna Adelson the mastermind prosecutors claim—or is the defense simply outmatched from day one? #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #HiddenKillers #MurderTrial #CourtroomDrama #TrialCoverage #FloridaCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #JusticeForDan 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

25 Des 1h 27min

Relive the jaw-dropping DoorDash driver twist that rocked the Bryan Kohberger saga in this pulse-pounding deep dive from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Back in June 2025, a DUI arrest bodycam confession ignited true crime chaos: A delivery driver claimed she parked next to Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra outside the off-campus house minutes before the November 2022 Idaho student murders. Was it him lurking in the shadows, or a case of mistaken identity? As Kohberger now rots on four life sentences post-July guilty plea, we dissect her chilling account—delivering food to victim Xana Kernodle around 4 a.m., spotting a suspicious figure by a white car matching his, and the eerie timeline clash with phone pings and security cams. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today retrospective uncovers the frenzy: Prosecutors subpoena her records, defense scrambles to debunk as "unreliable," and leaks reveal she ID'd Kohberger from photos during her 2024 arrest. Dive into the red flags—her delayed report, alcohol-fueled recall, and how it bolsters the prosecution's premeditation narrative alongside the Ka-Bar sheath DNA and Amazon buys. But does this "mystery witness" (aka "MM" in docs) crack the case wide open, or fuel third-party theories? We break down bodycam footage breakdowns, expert takes on eyewitness fallibility, and why it amplified pre-trial media storms leading to the Boise venue shift. Fast-forward to 2025 fallout: This bombshell fed the Goncalves' November WSU lawsuit, slamming university oversight of Kohberger's creepy campus behavior. True crime obsessives, this is gold—probe delivery dash cams, victim timelines, and if one late-night drop-off sealed a killer's fate. Packed with unfiltered analysis, it's your essential rewind on the #Idaho4 enigma. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #DoorDashDriver #Idaho4 #TrueCrime #KohbergerWitness #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #EyewitnessDrama #ForensicTwist #XanaKernodle #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderMystery 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

25 Des 39min

🔍 What does true crime guru Howard Blum now believe about Bryan Kohberger's fractured family and twisted motives? Paired with retired FBI behavior chief's razor-sharp breakdown of that abrupt July 2025 guilty plea – in this riveting rewind from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Blum unpacks the emotional rifts: Dad's uneasy post-murder road trip, sibling silences, and how Kohberger's criminology obsession birthed the #Idaho4 nightmare – sheath DNA damns, Amazon premed slips, and WSU stalking ghosts that universities ignored. FBI vet dissects the plea pivot: Ego-crushing evidence avalanche forced the "guilty" gasp, dodging death row but igniting family "betrayal" howls over the 48-hour deal. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today mashup hits November 2025 fresh: Yesterday's Goncalves WSU lawsuit blasts overlooked red flags, fueling restitution wars – $30K fund freezes and urn payback snarls from the November 5 hearing. Autism alibis? Shredded. Third-party mirages? Vanished. True crime truth-hunters, this duo delivers: Insider theories meet behavioral bombs on a killer's collapse. Did family fractures forge the fiend? Your essential 2025 decode of dodged executions and lingering lies in the Idaho inferno. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HowardBlum #FBIBreakdown #TrueCrime #KohbergerPlea #Idaho4 #HiddenKill 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

25 Des 1h 27min

In today’s episode, we break down the stunning split narrative unfolding around the Gilgo Beach murders—one fueled by Netflix’s Gone Girls, the other by Peacock’s explosive new documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets. At the center of both? Asa Ellerup, the ex-wife of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann, whose reactions are raising eyebrows across the true crime world. After watching Gone Girls, Asa reportedly began wondering whether her former husband might be a fall guy—an extraordinary claim considering the decades of corruption inside Suffolk County law enforcement. From former Police Chief James Burke’s violent cover-ups to DA Thomas Spota’s obstruction charges, the county’s history is messy enough to make anyone question official narratives. But in a dramatic turn, Peacock’s documentary shows a different Asa—one calling Rex her “hero,” defending him emotionally, and describing prison visits as “first dates.” The family reportedly received substantial payment for their participation, raising ethical questions and potential legal consequences under proposed updates to New York’s Son of Sam laws. We examine the forensic battle unfolding in court, including the high-stakes Frye hearing over whole genome sequencing—a cutting-edge DNA method prosecutors say ties hairs from victims to Heuermann or members of his household. The defense, meanwhile, argues the science is untested in New York and should be excluded. Add to that:  • Over 200 firearms found in a hidden vault  • Significant damage to the Heuermann home during searches  • The children’s firsthand accounts of living with an accused killer  • Statements that could be used at trial This case now sits at the chaotic intersection of true crime media, family psychology, forensic science, and a justice system still trying to outrun its own corruption. And if Asa’s reaction is any indication, the story is far from settled. #GilgoBeachMurders #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #TrueCrimeNews #LongIslandSerialKiller #HiddenKillers #DNAEvidence #DocumentaryAnalysis #JusticeSystem #TrueCrimeCommunity 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

24 Des 45min

Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman took center stage in the Donna Adelson trial and delivered one of the most consequential closing arguments of the entire case — a summation built on motive, timing, and a digital trail prosecutors say Donna cannot outrun. Cappleman told jurors the path to the truth was simple: “Follow the evidence and find her guilty.” And with that, she walked them step by step through the 2014 murder-for-hire plot that left FSU law professor Dan Markel dead in his driveway. Her message was direct. For Donna Adelson, relocation wasn’t a hope — it was a mission. Years of emails, texts, and phone calls revealed that she viewed Wendi’s move to South Florida as non-negotiable. When the courts refused to give her what she wanted, prosecutors argue Donna and her family turned to a criminal solution, with Charlie acting as the conduit to the hitmen. Cappleman emphasized patterns, not speculation:  • Coordinated timing across phone calls  • Code-like phrasing in text messages  • Shifting money between family members  • The language of control and urgency embedded in Donna’s communications  • A timeline that aligns motive, opportunity, and movement “Innocent people don’t talk in code,” she reminded jurors — a line that cut through the courtroom. Using clear, memorable visuals, she tied every exhibit back to the same through-line: motive → method → meaning. Each piece of evidence reinforced the last, forming the narrative prosecutors want jurors to carry into deliberations: Donna Adelson wasn’t on the periphery — she was at the center. The defense insists Donna is merely a “meddling mother-in-law,” not a murderer. But Cappleman argued the pattern is unmistakable: when legal avenues failed, Donna allegedly chose the illegal one. This clip matters because it captures the prosecution’s final roadmap — the distilled narrative the jury will confront as they decide Donna Adelson’s fate. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #GeorgiaCappleman #DanMarkel #ClosingArguments #TrueCrime #FloridaJustice #CourtroomDrama #MurderForHire #HiddenKillers 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

24 Des 2h 30min