The Banker Behind the Monster: Russell Laffitte’s Role in the Murdaugh Empire
In the world of white-collar crime, it’s not always the man holding the gun who does the most damage. Sometimes, it’s the man holding the pen. Russell Laffitte, the former CEO of Palmetto State Bank, has officially been sentenced—state and federal—for his pivotal role in enabling Alex Murdaugh’s sprawling fraud schemes. From court-appointed conservator to criminal co-conspirator, Laffitte turned trust into a weapon and helped siphon over $1.8 million from vulnerable clients—victims of injury, trauma, and death. In this explosive breakdown, we dive into Laffitte’s calculated choices, the financial mechanisms he exploited, and the chilling pattern of betrayal that turned him into the enabler behind South Carolina’s most infamous legal dynasty. This isn’t just about a banker gone bad. It’s about systemic failure, small-town power, and what happens when legacy becomes liability. We unpack the stolen settlements, the broken promises, and the legal fallout that followed. From the exploitation of Hakeem Pinckney’s estate to the stolen trust funds of Natarsha Thomas and the Badger family, this episode exposes how Laffitte kept the Murdaugh machine humming long after it should have shut down. If you thought the Murdaugh case was just about murder—you haven’t seen the money trail. And Russell Laffitte was the guy laying down the tracks. #MurdaughMurders #RussellLaffitte #TrueCrime #WhiteCollarCrime #MurdaughFraud #SouthCarolinaScandal #PalmettoBank #ConservatorFraud #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast 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
16 Okt 16min
The Adelsons Fall Apart: Narcissism, Denial, and Legacy in Shambles
It wasn’t just Donna Adelson who broke down at sentencing—it was her husband Harvey, too. And in their back-to-back emotional outbursts, we witnessed the unraveling of an entire family narrative that had held for over a decade. In this joint psychological breakdown, Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole are joined by psychotherapist Shavaun Scott to dissect the most emotionally charged—and revealing—moments of both Donna and Harvey’s final courtroom statements. Together, we examine: How narcissistic collapse shows up in real time through fractured speech, emotional spirals, and selective memory Why Harvey’s grief appears genuine—but is directed toward defending the illusion, not the truth How Donna’s use of oaths, denial, and moral inversion reframes her as a victim of the justice system The family system that enabled this collapse—and what happens when loyalty outweighs accountability This is what it sounds like when a legacy built on image can no longer hold the weight of the truth. 🔔 Subscribe for full courtroom analysis, expert interviews, and behavioral breakdowns from the biggest trials in America. #AdelsonTrial #DonnaAdelson #HarveyAdelson #DanMarkel #FamilyCollapse #NarcissisticCollapse #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CourtroomDrama #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott 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
16 Okt 1h 2min
Is Harvey Adelson Next? The Unindicted Shadow in the Markel Murder Plot
Harvey Adelson hasn’t been charged. But he’s far from forgotten. In this episode, we walk the razor’s edge of what the evidence actually says about Harvey Adelson—the patriarch of a family fractured by murder, scandal, and courtroom spectacle. From wiretaps and Zelle subpoenas to call-detail records and coded texts, we examine the mounting circumstantial web that places Harvey near the center of a conspiracy that has already led to multiple life sentences. We dissect: • Messages about a "birthday present" that prosecutors say point to premeditated planning • Call records placing Harvey’s number in contact with key figures in the murder plot • Wiretap approvals and jailhouse testimony naming him in alleged obstruction • Zelle account activity and witness tampering claims • The Vietnam jet bridge arrest with Donna—was it awareness or coincidence? This is not a story of guilt by association. It’s a careful, fact-based analysis of what’s already in the public record—and whether it’s enough to tip the scales toward indictment. Because in the Markel murder case, silence isn’t the same as innocence. It’s just the part of the story waiting to be told. #HarveyAdelson #DanMarkelMurder #UnindictedCoConspirator #AdelsonFamily #TrueCrimePodcast #ConspiracyCase #WitnessTampering #ZelleTransfers #MarkelJustice #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
15 Okt 22min
Donna Adelson’s Sentencing Was a Masterclass in Narcissism
Donna Adelson was sentenced to life in prison—but you wouldn’t know it by her behavior in court. What was meant to be a solemn moment of justice turned into a shocking display of entitlement, arrogance, and complete lack of remorse. In this episode, we break down the bizarre spectacle of Donna’s sentencing. From her declaration of innocence to her scolding of the jury and the judge, Donna seemed more interested in controlling the narrative than accepting her fate. But it didn’t end there—her husband Harvey doubled down with a tone-deaf rant blaming the system, the media, and the world for their downfall. We cover: • Donna’s courtroom performance—defiance over remorse • Judge Everett’s powerful rebuttal • Harvey Adelson’s surreal tirade • The parade of tone-deaf “supporters” • The contrast with the Markel family’s grace and silence This wasn’t justice denied—it was justice exposed. A family so consumed by narcissism, they turned a sentencing hearing into a theater of delusion. #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #MarkelMurder #CourtroomDrama #AdelsonFamily #LifeSentence #TrueCrimeAnalysis #NarcissismInCourt #JusticeForDan #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
15 Okt 19min
The Ellen Greenberg COVER-UP CONTINUES, Despite Public Pressure
There’s no way around it — the 2025 Ellen Greenberg report is a system defending itself, not an honest reevaluation of a suspicious death. Ellen Greenberg was 27, engaged, and planning a wedding when she was found with 23 wounds. Years later, after national media coverage, civil litigation, and public pressure, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office claimed to conduct an “independent review.” The result? No change. Still suicide. Still silence on the most disturbing details. In this powerful breakdown, defense attorney Bob Motta joins Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole to take apart the legal language, institutional incentives, and forensic deflections used to make this ruling appear conclusive. They explore how government agencies rewrite their own mistakes — and why Ellen’s case is one of the most chilling examples of procedural finality being used as a weapon. The public deserves better. Ellen’s family deserves the truth. And this episode holds nothing back. #EllenGreenberg #JusticeForEllenGreenberg #EllenGreenbergCase #BobMotta #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TruthNotClosure #ForensicReviewFail #SystemProtectsItself #TrueCrimeAnalysis 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
15 Okt 43min
Why Did Bryan Kohberger Really Plead Guilty? The Family Factor?
Why did Bryan Kohberger suddenly plead guilty after nearly two years of pretrial warfare? The answer might be more personal—and more psychological—than legal. In this breakdown, we explore how the revelation that Kohberger’s sister, Amanda, was on the prosecution’s witness list may have triggered a collapse in his carefully controlled defense. For a man driven by dominance, image, and manipulation, the prospect of family testifying against him may have cut deeper than any courtroom battle. We unpack: • The timeline between Amanda being listed and Kohberger's plea • What his control-obsessed behavior says about the psychology of his decision • How avoiding a trial may have spared his family—and preserved his own narcissistic narrative • The legal pressures: failed suppression motions, damning DNA rulings, and an inevitable death penalty trial • The psychology of narcissistic collapse and what it looks like when the mask slips Was it guilt, fear, or one last act of ego-driven control disguised as mercy? This is the deeper story behind Kohberger’s plea—and what it says about him. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #KohbergerGuilty #CriminalPsychology #TrueCrimeBreakdown #KohbergerFamily #ControlAndCollapse #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologicalProfile #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
15 Okt 18min
Ellen Greenberg: The 2025 Report That Protects Power, Not Truth
The name Ellen Greenberg has come to represent something larger than a single case — it’s now a symbol of what happens when systems prioritize self-protection over truth. In 2025, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office released a highly anticipated “independent review” of Ellen’s death — only to double down on the original ruling of suicide. Despite 23 wounds, unanswered questions, and growing national outrage, the system closed ranks once again. In this episode, criminal defense attorney Bob Motta joins Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole to unpack why this report has so many legal experts — and the public — demanding accountability. Together, they break down how the language of “reasonable certainty” shields agencies from scrutiny, why internal reviews rarely lead to justice, and how Ellen’s case reflects a larger failure in forensic oversight. This isn’t just about one ruling. This is about how easy it is to rewrite reality when no one wants to face the cost of being wrong. If you’ve followed the Ellen Greenberg case, this conversation gives voice to everything the report tried to quiet. And if you haven’t? This is where you need to start. #EllenGreenberg #JusticeForEllenGreenberg #EllenGreenbergCase #HiddenKillers #BobMotta #TonyBrueski #ForensicFailure #InstitutionalCoverup #TrueCrimePodcast #SystemicFailure 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
15 Okt 27min
