Banfield Defense Attacks Prosecution's Blood Evidence & Digital Forensics — Is Reasonable Doubt Taking Shape? | Day 6
The defense came out swinging on Day 6 of the Brendan Banfield murder trial — and the prosecution is now playing defense.It started with a failed motion to throw out the au pair's testimony. Judge denied it. Then came the body camera footage: Brendan Banfield at the hospital the morning his wife died, breaking down when doctors delivered the news. He cried again today watching it. The defense wants the jury to see a grieving husband. The prosecution says it's an act.But the real battle today was forensic. Defense expert LeeAnn Singley challenged every conclusion the prosecution's blood spatter analyst made yesterday. She testified that the evidence doesn't definitively show staging — and added that murderers sometimes hurt themselves to support their story. That cuts multiple directions.Then came digital forensics. A Fairfax County detective confirmed he was "not voluntarily removed" from the case. A private investigator laid groundwork for the theory that Christine Banfield controlled the FetLife account — not Brendan. If the jury believes that, the entire prosecution narrative collapses.Child endangerment charges are proceeding. Snow may shorten the trial. And somewhere in that courtroom, reasonable doubt is either building or crumbling.Full breakdown of everything that happened in court today.#TrueCrimeToday #BrendanBanfield #AuPairTrial #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FetLife #ForensicEvidence #DefenseCase #FairfaxCounty #MurderTrialJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 16min
Psychotherapist Analyzes Michael McKee: The "Wound Collector" Profile in Tepe Murders
What turns a failed seven-month marriage into an alleged eight-year obsession ending in double homicide?Michael McKee, a 39-year-old vascular surgeon, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer. Family members say Monique lived with McKee for only seven months before escaping what they describe as emotional abuse and repeated death threats. She divorced him in 2017, remarried in 2020, built a new life with two children. Prosecutors allege McKee drove six hours from Illinois, entered their home without forced entry, shot both victims at 3:52 AM, and drove back.In Part 1 of our three-part expert interview series, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott provides clinical analysis of the alleged perpetrator psychology. With over thirty years working in forensic settings and domestic violence programs — and as author of "The Minds of Mass Killers" — Shavaun brings deep expertise to these questions.We examine the "wound collector" profile identified by FBI profiler Joe Navarro. We explore how high-functioning individuals allegedly compartmentalize obsession. We analyze what allegedly triggers action after years of apparent fixation. And we dig into the internal narrative that may have allegedly justified this alleged eight-year grudge.Expert insight into the psychology of violence.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #ShavaunScott #TrueCrimeToday #WoundCollector #ForensicPsychology #DomesticViolence #ExpertAnalysisLink to Shavaun Scott's Substack Discussing Dangerous Ex's:https://open.substack.com/pub/shavaun/p/when-leaving-is-the-most-dangerous?r=1fklc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 23min
Brendan Miller Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"
Brendan Miller, Detective with the Fairfax Co. Police Department, 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 EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 40min
Harry Lidsky Testifies in Brendan Banfield Trial — The "Au Pair Affair Murder Trial"
Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensics Investigator, 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 EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 26min
FBI Profiler Framework Explains Michael McKee's Alleged 8-Year Fixation on Ex-Wife
What turns a failed seven-month marriage into an alleged eight-year obsession ending in double homicide?Michael McKee, a 39-year-old vascular surgeon, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer in Columbus, Ohio. Family members say Monique lived with McKee for only seven months before escaping what they describe as emotional abuse and repeated death threats. She divorced him in 2017, remarried in 2020, and built a new life with two children.Prosecutors allege McKee drove six hours from Illinois, entered the Tepe home without forced entry, shot both victims at 3:52 AM, and drove back. Police recovered multiple weapons from his Chicago penthouse, including one preliminarily linked to shell casings at the scene. The indictment includes a firearm suppressor specification.In this deep dive, we apply former FBI profiler Joe Navarro's "wound collector" framework and criminal behavioral analyst Laura Richards' "stalking in slow motion" concept to understand the psychology allegedly at work. We examine why victims often don't report, why the quiet ex is often the most dangerous, and what this case teaches about recognizing warning signs.Education saves lives. This episode is proof of why that matters.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TepeMurders #TrueCrimeToday #WoundCollector #FBIProfiler #DomesticViolence #CoerciveControl #ColumbusJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 34min
Two Murder Trials, Two Legal Questions: Aaron Spencer Killed A Man Out On Bond For Alleged Crimes Against His Daughter — Defense Attorney Analyzes
What does the law say about killing someone who was out on bond for alleged crimes against your child and then allegedly kidnapped her? What does it say about using a silencer to allegedly murder your ex-wife years after divorce? Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down two cases that will test justification, premeditation, and reasonable doubt.Aaron Spencer is one week from trial. His daughter was 13 when Michael Fosler allegedly victimized her. Fosler faced 43 felony charges. He posted bond. Three months later, Spencer found his daughter in Fosler's truck at 1 AM and killed him with 16 shots. Prosecutors have body cam footage from months earlier where Spencer allegedly talked about handling things himself. The defense has Arkansas law — which puts the burden on prosecutors to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt.Dr. Michael McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder after prosecutors say he used a suppressor to kill Monique and Spencer Tepe while their children slept nearby. The indictment suggests premeditation down to the equipment. But there's no forced entry. No disclosed motive. No documented conflict in the years since the divorce. McKee gave an alibi that fell apart and only invoked silence after arrest.Motta analyzes both: the evidence, the legal standards, and what it takes to win when prosecutors have surveillance footage in one case and an alleged suppressor in the other. Two trials. Two juries. Two different questions about when killing is legally justified — and when reasonable doubt exists.#AaronSpencer #MichaelMcKee #MichaelFosler #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #BobMotta #TrueCrimeToday #MurderTrial #DefenseStrategy #JustificationJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 56min
Kohberger's 13 Complaints at WSU: FBI Expert Explains Why Universities Fail to Stop Predators
Bryan Kohberger wasn't invisible. He wasn't quiet. According to a new lawsuit filed by the families of his four victims, Washington State University received at least 13 formal complaints about his threatening, stalking, and predatory behavior in a single semester—and allegedly failed to act in any meaningful way. Today on True Crime Today, former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke breaks down what these warning signs mean from a professional threat assessment perspective. Robin served 21 years with the Bureau, including as Chief of the FBI's Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, and he specializes in understanding the behavioral patterns that precede violence. The lawsuit describes WSU faculty and staff creating informal warning systems because they felt the institution wouldn't protect them. A professor allegedly predicted Kohberger would sexually abuse students if given a PhD. Women reportedly needed security escorts to their cars. Students fled classrooms. And according to the families' complaint, WSU chose not to remove Kohberger—allegedly because doing so might expose the university to a lawsuit. Robin explains why institutions make that calculation, what 13 complaints in one semester should trigger operationally, and how threat assessment programs are supposed to function when warning signs stack up this high. The families are calling these murders "foreseeable and preventable." Robin weighs in on whether they're right—and what needs to change so this doesn't happen again.#TrueCrimeToday #BryanKohberger #WSULawsuit #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #RobinDreeke #ThreatAssessment #UniversitySafetyJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & 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.
22 Jan 20min
