When True Crime Gets It Right: Patrick McManus & Michael Chernus On Telling The Gacy Story

All The Trauma You Can Eat! The Adelson’s Buffet Of Crazy According to Wendi’s Ex Jeff Lacasse has testified multiple times in cases tied to the murder of Dan Markel — and every appearance reveals fresh scars. In this segment, the hosts examine the raw, unfiltered pain in his testimony about his relationship with Wendi Adelson. Tony, Stacy, and Todd unpack why Lacasse’s words still sound like therapy sessions a decade later. They discuss the manipulative games he endured, the trauma that lingers, and how his testimony paints Wendi in a light the jury can’t ignore. Beyond Jeff’s personal pain, they highlight how the Adelsons’ choices created ripple effects that devastated not just Dan Markel’s family, but anyone who crossed their path. It’s a portrait of lasting damage — where courtrooms become confessionals and trauma repeats itself under oath. Hashtags:  #JeffLacasse #WendiAdelson #DanMarkel #AdelsonCase #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrimePodcast #CourtTestimony #Justice 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

26 Sep 15min

Empty Chairs at the Adelsons’ Holiday Table — What’s Next for Wendi? The Adelson saga is far from over. In this segment, Tony, Stacy, and Todd go deeper into the family’s fractured state. With multiple members behind bars for their roles in Dan Markel’s murder, the spotlight shifts to Wendi Adelson and the children — still living under the shadow of the family name. The hosts ask: What does “normal” look like when your family is synonymous with crime? Do Wendi’s kids grow up carrying the weight of their family’s choices? And how do grandparents and extended family fit into a picture dominated by prison visits, court rulings, and headlines? This segment bridges into the bigger picture — how high-profile cases ripple through generations, altering not just public perception but the very fabric of family identity. The Adelsons aren’t just defendants; they are now a case study in how crime poisons tradition, stability, and even the meaning of home. Hashtags:  #AdelsonCase #DanMarkel #WendiAdelson #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrimeCommunity #TrueCrimePodcast #FamilyDrama #Justice 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

26 Sep 15min

Adelson Holidays From Hell: Will Wendi Celebrate Behind Bars? The Adelson family has gone from luxury dinners to prison visits. In this opening segment of Hidden Killers Live, Tony, Stacy, and Todd pivot from lighthearted fall banter into the dark reality facing the Adelsons after the Dan Markel murder-for-hire case. With Donna Adelson now convicted, Charlie behind bars, and Wendi still under public scrutiny, the question becomes: what do family holidays look like now? Are visits scheduled between prison walls the new “family gathering”? Do empty chairs haunt the table where an influential Florida family once sat? The conversation exposes how crime shatters more than lives — it unravels traditions, devastates children, and replaces once-celebrated rituals with surveillance, guards, and barbed wire. The Adelsons may not all be convicted, but the shadow of this case leaves no holiday untouched. Hashtags:  #AdelsonCase #DanMarkel #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #WendiAdelson #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrimePodcast #FamilyCrime #PrisonLife #Justice 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

26 Sep 16min

Adelsons’ Dark Holidays, D4VD’s Body in the Trunk, Rex Heuermann’s Trial Tightrope In this episode of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels, the conversation swings from lighthearted Halloween chatter into some of the darkest cases dominating headlines today. The show opens with pumpkins, pasta sauce, and a creepy animatronic doll that leaves Harper screaming — but the mood shifts quickly as the hosts turn their attention to the Adelson family. Once known for wealth and influence, the Adelsons now face prison cells, empty chairs at holiday tables, and children left in the middle of a murder-for-hire plot. What do the holidays look like for a family split between freedom and incarceration? And how does Jeff Lacasse’s painful, raw testimony continue to shape public perception of Wendi Adelson and the damage she left behind? From Florida, the spotlight moves west to Hollywood. Rising star D4VD’s career collapsed overnight after the decomposed body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla. Tony is joined by defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis to unpack the legal nightmare: ownership vs. possession of the vehicle, the disturbing revelation of matching tattoos, grooming allegations, missing-person timelines, and deleted social media trails that may point to destruction of evidence. Is this the fall of a star — or could someone in his inner circle be framing him? Finally, the team shifts to Long Island, where accused serial killer Rex Heuermann faces a consolidated mega-trial after a judge ruled that seven murder charges will be tried together. With groundbreaking DNA technology, victim dignity concerns, and family fallout all in play, the Gilgo Beach case has become one of the most complex trials in recent memory. Can Heuermann’s ex-wife Asa Ellerup or even his daughter be called to testify? Can jurors truly remain impartial under this level of public scrutiny? And will new forensic science set precedent for murder prosecutions across the country? This episode blends sharp analysis, dark humor, and deep dives into three of the most haunting cases of our time — the Adelsons, D4VD, and Rex Heuermann — exposing not only the crimes, but the rippling human cost. Hashtags: #HiddenKillersLive #AdelsonCase #DanMarkel #D4VD #CelesteRivasHernandez #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #TrueCrimePodcast #Justice #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

26 Sep 1h 55min

Homicide Ruling Explained: What It Means in the D4vd–Celeste Case This is the filter pass the internet won’t do. With Jennifer Coffindaffer at the table, we line up viral claims against the actual evidence bar and see what survives. The teacher’s classroom pickup video? If verified, it can be timeline-relevant. That widely shared concert clip? Walked back. Say it with us: connection ≠ guilt, and age knowledge isn’t something you guess from a grainy screen-grab. We de-mystify the tech. Teslas can log access, routes, and other telemetry; sometimes the cameras help—sometimes they’ve been turned off. Either way, data isn’t a confession. It needs people, physical trace, and a timeline that doesn’t wobble. We’re clear about what the digital exhaust can answer—and where it stops. Forensics in plain English: how examiners tell dismemberment from decomposition (tool marks vs. what heat/time do), where toxicology still helps despite tough conditions, and what a “homicide” ruling actually means. It’s a medicolegal classification that another person caused the death; it’s not a suspect ID or a courtroom verdict. We also walk the abandoned-car logic tree. If this was murder, was the tow a foreseeable risk or a panicked misread by someone in over their head? If not, was concealment an impulsive, catastrophic choice? Those are investigative paths, not conclusions. If you’re here for clean analysis and not hashtag detectives, this one’s for you. Presumption of innocence applies. Hashtags  #HiddenKillers #D4vd #CelesteRivasHernandez #DigitalEvidence #Tesla #Forensics #Toxicology #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer 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

26 Sep 18min

What We Know Now: Verified Facts in the D4vd Celeste Murder Case A 15-year-old found in a Tesla’s trunk. A rising artist’s name on the registration. That combo lights the internet on fire in seconds. In this opener, we do the opposite of clout-chasing. We slow it down and walk through what’s actually confirmed and what smart investigators do first when the spotlight’s blinding. With guest Jennifer Coffindaffer (retired FBI Special Agent), we map the sequence cleanly: Hollywood Hills abandonment, tow to the lot, odor complaint, discovery—no dramatics, no leaps. We talk about how a high-pressure case is staffed for success: lead homicide on point, support where it matters, tight scene control so evidence doesn’t “evaporate” before it ever hits a lab. And yes, why “no charges yet” is often a sign of discipline, not weakness. Then we frame the car questions without pretending the dashboard is a detective: Who last had control? How long did it sit? What can a modern vehicle actually log that’s useful—and what will never be a substitute for witnesses and trace? This is a foundation episode: fewer hashtags, more facts. Reminder: this involves a family and a child.  As of this recording, no one is charged; everyone is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Hashtags  #HiddenKillers #D4vd #CelesteRivasHernandez #TrueCrime #Tesla #LAPD #Forensics #CrimeScene #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer 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

26 Sep 17min

Big Breakdown - Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell's LOVE LETTERS EXPOSED! Just when you thought the Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow case couldn’t get any stranger, it does. In this Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels, we dive into the disturbing new prison writings being released by convicted killer Chad Daybell — the same man sentenced to death for murdering his wife Tammy Daybell and conspiring with Lori Vallow in the killings of her children Tylee and JJ. Now from prison, Daybell is sending out letters that read like a twisted mix of Harlequin romance, religious prophecy, and cringe-inducing erotic fiction. In one infamous “love letter” to Lori — disguised through characters named James and Elena — Chad writes about their supposed eternal bond, their past lives alongside Jesus Christ, and a sexual “scientific phenomenon” he dubs “loin fire.” Yes, loin fire. The Hidden Killers team reads through these jaw-dropping passages, pausing to analyze how Daybell uses language to manipulate, justify, and romanticize a relationship that ultimately fueled murder. Why does he constantly insist they were married in past lives? Was this repetition a psychological tactic to control Lori? Or was he simply feeding his own delusion while trying to make their crimes feel “ordained”? Beyond the infamous letter, Daybell’s prison correspondence includes reflections on his Mormon mission, his excommunication from the LDS Church, and even his love for Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” — which he bizarrely describes as a “sacred hymn.” It’s part delusion, part manipulation, and part window into a man who continues to craft his own narrative even behind bars. From loin fire to eternal sealing ceremonies, this episode isn’t just about shock value — it’s about understanding how people like Chad Daybell wrap destructive obsessions in layers of religion, romance, and fantasy. Want more breakdowns of the darkest and strangest corners of true crime? Subscribe now and join the conversation in the comments. Hashtags #ChadDaybell #LoriVallow #LoinFire #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #DaybellLetters #CultCrimes #TrueCrimeCommunity #MurderCase #DeathPenalty 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

26 Sep 1h 11min

Barry Morphew Released on Bond: Inside the Evidence for Guilt vs Innocence On Mother’s Day weekend in 2020, Suzanne Morphew vanished from her Colorado home, sparking a desperate search and a storm of suspicion. Her husband, Barry Morphew, told investigators she had gone for a bike ride and never returned. But as days stretched into weeks, the story took a darker turn. In 2021, Barry was arrested for Suzanne’s murder — only to see the charges dropped in 2022 when prosecutors admitted they weren’t ready. For a while, it seemed the case had collapsed. That changed in 2023 when Suzanne’s remains were discovered in rural Saguache County. An autopsy in 2024 ruled her death a homicide, with “unspecified means.” The medical examiner also found something chilling: traces of a tranquilizer cocktail in her bones, the kind used to sedate wildlife. By 2025, prosecutors returned with a new indictment, claiming Barry had both the access and the motive to kill. They point to suspicious gaps in his phone data, marital conflict, and the unique tranquilizer evidence. For them, it’s a clear pattern: means, motive, and opportunity. The defense sees it very differently. They stress what’s missing: no eyewitness, no definitive cause of death, no direct proof of Barry’s hand in Suzanne’s final moments. To them, the state is building a case on circumstantial evidence and narrative framing, not hard facts. This year, Barry posted bond — $300,000 on a $3 million surety — and was released under strict monitoring. As he awaits trial, the questions remain: Is this the story of a husband who refused to let go, or the story of a man wrongly accused? In this episode, we break down the full timeline, the evidence, and the arguments on both sides. No speculation, no sensationalism — just the facts. You decide. Hashtags #BarryMorphew #SuzanneMorphew #TrueCrime #CourtCase #ColoradoCrime 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 Sep 14min