Donna Adelson Trial: Legal Expert Richard Shagrin Testifies on Donna’s Words and Intent

Donna Adelson Trial-Defense Opening Statement: ‘Only Theory, No Evidence’ -Adelson’s Lawyer Fights Back In a powerful counterpunch to the prosecution, Donna Adelson’s defense attorney, Jackie Fulford, tells the jury: “You heard a lot about what other people did… but not a single piece of evidence shows Donna planned or intended this.  Donna is just a grandmother, not a crime boss. Fulford begins by honoring Dan Markel’s legacy—he was “very well respected” and loved by his peers. She asks jurors to remember the human at the center of all the headlines. Then she frames her client: a 64-year-old woman, “kind,” “normal,” and dedicated to keeping her grandchildren connected—even after the family relational rifts. The defense admits the murder was “outrageous in its cruelty,” but draws a red line between motive and proof: motive alone doesn’t equal guilt.  Fulford pushes back on the “headline‑grabbing” narrative, cautioning that the prosecution’s storycast Donna atop a pyramid built on speculation. “Without evidence—only motive and theory—they put her at the top of this pyramid,” Fulford asserts. She brings a poignant, humanizing plea to jurors: “Why would this woman want to take away the father of her grandchildren?” The tone is calm, measured, and rooted in doubt—not emotion. This opening matters because it introduces the trial’s central tension: proof vs. portrayal, fact vs. fiction. Whereas the prosecution constructs a drama of conspiracy, Fulford wants to collapse it into questions: Where’s the evidence? What ties does Donna actually have to the crime? This segment provides a window into the skepticism the defense expects jurors to bring to the state's case. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #DefenseOpening #ReasonableDoubt #NoEvidence #FamilyMatters #TrueCrimeCourtroom #TrialByJury #LegalDefense #CustodyCase #DonnaIsNotAMastermind 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

23 Aug 21min

Donna Adelson Trial-State Opens With Shocking Murder-for-Hire Claims Against Matriarch "Mastermind" Dive into the opening statement in the Donna Adelson trial where the State paints a chilling portrait: a controlling, relentless matriarch who allegedly conspired to kill her ex–son‑in‑law, Dan Markel. In front of the jury, Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan didn’t mince words—Donna, she said, was “part of a conspiracy to hire a hitman” in a plot rooted in a bitter custody battle and a longing to relocate her daughter and grandkids to South Florida. Dugan walked jurors through the family's inner workings—from emails revealing Donna’s involvement, to allegations she “hated” Dan, to claims she managed details, payroll, and even payroll arrangements for Katherine Magbanua, the go‑between who connected the Adelsons to the hitmen. She emphasized Donna’s dominance in the family: “She was extremely controlling… she ran the office, the home and the lives of the Adelson family members.” Wiretaps, coded phone calls, and financial records were promised to underscore the prosecution’s theory of motive and execution. If you want the full strategy, emotion, and shadow of motive defined, this is your must-see moment. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #ProsecutionOpening #MurderForHire #MatriarchMastermind #DanMarkelMurder #TrueCrimeCourtroom #CustodyBattle #FloridaTrial #WiretapEvidence #DonnaDidIt 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

23 Aug 1h 6min

Bryan Kohberger’s Calls to “Mother” and Christmas Day Serial Killer Search EXPOSED Within hours of the Idaho student murders, Bryan Kohberger called his mother — not once, but repeatedly — for conversations totaling over three hours that day. He addressed his parents formally as “Mother” and “Father,” even texting, “Father, why is Mother not answering?” Was this routine? Desperation? Or an emotional tether to the only people who might never question him? Weeks later, on Christmas Day, Kohberger sat down and researched more than 20 serial killers — with a particular focus on Danny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper. Rolling’s crimes bore unsettling similarities to the Idaho murders: KA-BAR knife, sliding-door entry, and a focus on college students. By then, Kohberger had been stopped twice on his drive home, was gloving up to bag trash, and knew police were looking for his car. Was this paranoia-driven damage control, or a compulsive “copycat” study session? Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins Tony Brueski to connect these two behaviors. From emotional anchors and routine-seeking to mimicry of notorious killers, we explore how Kohberger’s post-crime actions reveal a man more concerned with validation and borrowed identity than originality. #BryanKohberger #Idaho4 #DannyRolling #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #CriminalPsychology #SerialKillerResearch #IdahoMurders #BehavioralAnalysis 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

23 Aug 34min

Was Kohberger Planning Another Attack? Christmas Day Search History Analyzed Christmas Day, 2022 — just weeks after the Idaho murders — Bryan Kohberger sat down and researched more than 20 notorious serial killers. One name stood out: Danny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper, whose crimes eerily mirrored Kohberger’s alleged actions. Rolling used a KA-BAR knife, targeted college students, and entered through sliding doors — chilling parallels to the Idaho case. In this episode, former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke analyzes what this research spree means. Was Kohberger simply feeding a morbid curiosity, or was he conducting a tactical “after-action” review to identify mistakes and improve his methods? Did he believe he’d gotten away with it and could refine his approach for a “next time”? And how do Rolling’s own post-crime behaviors — hiding weapons, evading capture — fit into Kohberger’s apparent fixation? We also examine the broader context: Kohberger had been stopped twice on the way to Pennsylvania, was wearing gloves and bagging his trash, and knew police were looking for his car. Was this research paranoia-fueled damage control, or a compulsive dive into the crimes of people he hoped to emulate? #BryanKohberger #DannyRolling #Idaho4 #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #SerialKillerResearch #IdahoMurders #BehavioralAnalysis #CriminalMindset 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

22 Aug 22min