Sword and Scale

Everyone thought Joshua Gouker was a dangerous criminal. It was easy to convict him of murdering his 14-year-old step son Trey Zwicker, especially after he suddenly changed his plea to guilty and confessed. But why would a hardened criminal mastermind, who had several friends and family members at his command and lying for him, suddenly confess at trial without a plea bargain in place? The answer is that his son, who he proudly referred to as a demon child, was also on trial for the same murder, and although he was only 15 when Zwicker died, he was being tried as an adult. The bond between this father and son duo is stronger than you would expect given the fact that neither of them seem to have a moral compass of any sort. We'll delve into the incredible details of this case, which gives new meaning to the words "like father, like son."Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

29 Sep 20141h 20min

In this special two-parter, the brutal and inexplicable murder of a 14-year-old boy exposes a dysfunctional American family's secrets and lies. This is the story of Trey Zwicker's murder, a young boy who did everything right but never really had a chance because he grew up in the wrong place, around the wrong people. This is also the story of a father and son. Joshua Young, a bright honor-role student, and Joshua Gouker, a convicted felon who had spent most of his son's lifetime behind bars. The two were so close that they even share a murder indictment for Trey Zwicker's untimely departure from Earth. One was sentenced to life, the other walks among us, but did the justice system get it right or was it fooled by a criminal mastermind? We'll present the evidence and let you decide for yourself in the true-crime murder mystery. Be sure to check in for part two of this story, where we flip the table and make you question your conclusions.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

22 Sep 20141h

This is one of the most under-reported murders in the history of the North American Continent. A mutilation that took hours and mind that was so disturbed it relished in the extreme violence inflicted on the deceased, this story exposes the obvious deficiencies in the extremely Liberal Canadian justice system, which even many natives don't even fully understand. Dan Zupansky, author of Trophy Kill "The Shall We Dance Murder" and host of the highly-popular true-crime podcast True Murder "The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History", joins us to tell us a tale that is as disturbing as some of the most infamous cases ever reported. Zupansky, however, wasn't satisfied in simply chronicling a historical case. He jumped in, head first, into an active case that was still unraveling. In doing so, he became the unwitting target of critics and star witness for the prosecution of his subject. He tells us his story, no holds barred, describing his disdain for some of the actors in this case such as Greg Broadsky, who defended infamous killer Paul Bernardo and is on a short list of the most prominent known Canadian criminal defense attorneys. This story is interesting from so many different standpoints, and also so tragic from so many different standpoints, it's unlikely for anyone not to find something they feel passionate about on this particular case.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

29 Aug 20141h 13min

Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children. Being one of these children is nightmarish enough, but if your abuser is someone you completely trust, then the event becomes all the more traumatic. Jamie Sivrais was one of these children. When he was 10 his father, who had been absent much of his early life, sexually abused him. Emboldened by his act, the abuse escalated to a point where Jamie knew he had to do something to try and put an end to it. Today Jamie runs a non-profit called A Voice for the Innocent which encourages victims of sexual abuse to come forward anonymously with their stories and get help from a community of others who have had similar experiences. The abuse at the hands of Jamie's father is shocking and terrible, but the fact that he has been able to turn such dark events in his life into such a positive act by assisting other victims, makes his story inspirational and uplifting.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

15 Aug 20141h 11min

With just 10,000 residents, the small town of Jennings, Louisiana has one of the highest crime rates per capita of any US town. Any vice you're looking for can be found here, including prostitution, which is just one of the things that linked all 8 victims that were found in the surrounding swamp land. Another thing linking all eight women, was their association with a man by the name of Frankie Richard. A shady character with a spotty, Richard knew all 8 women and admits to having sexual relations with almost all of them, yet he claims to have nothing to do with the murders and provides little information beyond that. However, the secrets of this town are lying there in wait for someone to who cares enough about eight dead prostitutes to come forward and solve this case. Apparently, the local Sheriff's department hasn't stepped up to the job, and the level of corruption and crime going on by those who actually wear a badge is staggering. The number of officers or investigated for ethics violations over the last decade would be shocking even for a large city, let alone a small town such as Jennings. It has become clear, over the course of two sheriffs being prosecuted and one mysteriously resigning before being asked to step down, that the culture of corruption in this town may go all the way to the top and, because of that, this crime may never be solved.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

2 Aug 201458min

What could be more horrifying, terrible, and heart-breaking than a mother intentionally taking the life of her own child. The fact that there's even a word in the English language that describes it it shocking in itself. The word is filicide and, even though you may have never heard of it, there are too many cases to cover in just one episode of Sword and Scale. We barely scratch the surface in this episode of some of the most horrifying cases of mommies killing their babies. Episode 23 covers some of the more famous cases like Andrea Yates and Casey Anthony, as well as the deplorable recent case of Megan Huntsman and her garage of nightmares. We also touch on more recent cases that will literally turn your stomach, such as Microwave Mom China Arnold and the attempted murder suicides of Elaine Campione and Julia Murray, each of which failed their intended outcome for entirely different reasons. Warning: these cases are highly disturbing. You won't be able to get these stories out of your head. So if you are sensitive to the brutal truth of true crime, then you may want to skip this one.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

19 Jul 20141h 5min

A family divided, a hungry media looking for answers, and an inept police department looking for answers to explain and more importantly prove the inexplicable actions by a father of two young boys, sets a community in turmoil. Soon, the entire nation is wrapped up in the "what ifs" that emerge from the web of lies and misinformation that has been weaved by a family of deviants. In the end answers are few and far between, but there is a resolution, although not the resolution anyone would have hoped for. This is the story of Josh Powell, his wife Susan Powell, and their two young kids Charlie and Braden. Of course, the story also involves the friend and family around them that were, and are still, affected by the actions on the night of and early morning hours of December 6-7th, 2009.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

3 Jul 20141h 20min

Historical Crime Detective Jason Morrow joins us once again to tell the tale of a mysterious killer who took on the persona of a secret agent in the Summer of 1930. One of the first documented cases of a narcissistic killer engaging the media to taunt police, the tale of 3X captured the imagination of the nation. However after the killing stopped abruptly, this story was all but forgotten... until now. With similarities to the Zodiac Killer case, this is a story you have to hear. We also invite trial reporter Jen Wood from TheTrialDiaries.com to give us an update on the Seth Mazzaglia and Bryan Wayne Hulsey murder cases which she is covering. Also... some fun.Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

21 Jun 20141h 6min