Career Criminal or Mentally Ill? Austin Drummond, The Tennessee “Killer” Who Won’t Confess

Two headlines. Two tragedies. And one justice system collapsing under its own contradictions. In California and Oklahoma — two stories this week reveal the same ugly truth: justice is selective. One mother sits in jail while her missing daughter remains unaccounted for. Another man, accused of horrific violence, walks free. First: The Melodee Buzzard case. Nine-year-old Melodee vanished in early October. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was arrested November 7 on a false-imprisonment charge, bail set at $100,000. Investigators insist the arrest isn’t directly tied to the disappearance — but behind that phrasing lies a strategic move. Authorities allege rented vehicles, wigs, and license-plate swaps, with Melodee last seen near the Utah-Colorado border on October 9. Ashlee returned to California alone. The public’s question: if she’s not charged for the disappearance, what’s she really being held for? Then: Jesse Butler. In Payne County, Oklahoma, an 18-year-old accused of rape, strangulation, and sexual assault was handed what amounts to freedom — no prison, only community service and counseling. A plea deal so soft it’s reigniting national outrage over judicial accountability. The victims nearly died; Butler walks out under the guise of “rehabilitation.” Together, these cases frame a system that punishes at random — one that acts swiftly against optics, but gently toward those it quietly favors. When a violent offender is treated with mercy and a missing-child case stalls behind legal semantics, we’re left with a single, bitter question: who is the justice system actually protecting? Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole to pull back the curtain on both investigations — the legal strategy, the investigative psychology, and the moral failure playing out in real time. Two stories. Two families. One nation still pretending this is justice. #MelodeeBuzzard #JesseButler #AshleeBuzzard #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeSystem #FalseImprisonment #OklahomaJustice #MissingChild  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 Nov 57min

This episode features unedited courtroom audio from the Dima Tower double-murder trial in North Port, Florida — the case that’s come to be known as “The Evil Orphan.” Prosecutors say 21-year-old Dima Tower, adopted from Ukraine at age 14 by Jennifer and Robbie Tower, brutally murdered his adoptive parents inside their home before fleeing and leading police on a high-speed chase. The defense claims years of trauma and emotional disturbance shaped what happened that night. In this ongoing Hidden Killers courtroom-coverage series, we present the raw sounds of justice — no commentary, no edits — just the voices of attorneys, witnesses, and the judge as the case unfolds in real time. Each installment captures a different moment of the proceedings: opening statements, witness testimony, cross-examinations, and rulings that will decide whether Tower spends the rest of his life behind bars. For full analysis, breakdowns, and expert commentary from former FBI agents, prosecutors, and psychotherapists, follow our companion podcast Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. ⚖️ Disclaimer: All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EvilOrphan #DimaTower #TrueCrime #FloridaCrime #NorthPort #CourtroomAudio #DoubleMurder #TrialCoverage #CriminalJustice 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 Nov 6min

This episode features unedited courtroom audio from the Dima Tower double-murder trial in North Port, Florida — the case that’s come to be known as “The Evil Orphan.” Prosecutors say 21-year-old Dima Tower, adopted from Ukraine at age 14 by Jennifer and Robbie Tower, brutally murdered his adoptive parents inside their home before fleeing and leading police on a high-speed chase. The defense claims years of trauma and emotional disturbance shaped what happened that night. In this ongoing Hidden Killers courtroom-coverage series, we present the raw sounds of justice — no commentary, no edits — just the voices of attorneys, witnesses, and the judge as the case unfolds in real time. Each installment captures a different moment of the proceedings: opening statements, witness testimony, cross-examinations, and rulings that will decide whether Tower spends the rest of his life behind bars. For full analysis, breakdowns, and expert commentary from former FBI agents, prosecutors, and psychotherapists, follow our companion podcast Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. ⚖️ Disclaimer: All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EvilOrphan #DimaTower #TrueCrime #FloridaCrime #NorthPort #CourtroomAudio #DoubleMurder #TrialCoverage #CriminalJustice 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 Nov 55min

This episode features unedited courtroom audio from the Dima Tower double-murder trial in North Port, Florida — the case that’s come to be known as “The Evil Orphan.” Prosecutors say 21-year-old Dima Tower, adopted from Ukraine at age 14 by Jennifer and Robbie Tower, brutally murdered his adoptive parents inside their home before fleeing and leading police on a high-speed chase. The defense claims years of trauma and emotional disturbance shaped what happened that night. In this ongoing Hidden Killers courtroom-coverage series, we present the raw sounds of justice — no commentary, no edits — just the voices of attorneys, witnesses, and the judge as the case unfolds in real time. Each installment captures a different moment of the proceedings: opening statements, witness testimony, cross-examinations, and rulings that will decide whether Tower spends the rest of his life behind bars. For full analysis, breakdowns, and expert commentary from former FBI agents, prosecutors, and psychotherapists, follow our companion podcast Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. ⚖️ Disclaimer: All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EvilOrphan #DimaTower #TrueCrime #FloridaCrime #NorthPort #CourtroomAudio #DoubleMurder #TrialCoverage #CriminalJustice 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 Nov 23min

It’s one of the most disturbing and bizarre murder cases to come out of Nevada in years. Former adult film actress Devyn Michaels is on trial for the murder and decapitation of Johnathan Willette — the father of her two daughters — while she was legally married to his adult son, Deviere Willette. Prosecutors say the motive was control: that Michaels feared Johnathan’s attempts to reconnect with his children and move closer to her home, so she decided to eliminate him permanently. They claim she drove to his Henderson residence in the early morning hours of August 7, 2023, killed him, then tried to dissolve evidence with bleach and ammonia before hiding his belongings in her garage. His head has never been found. The defense tells an entirely different story. They argue that Deviere — not Devyn — had motive and opportunity, and that the physical nature of the crime suggests someone else. They point out that there’s no murder weapon, no DNA evidence, and no direct forensic proof tying Devyn to the act itself. What’s left is a trial built on data: GPS logs, surveillance footage, and human psychology.  How does a family get this far gone? How does love twist itself into control — and control into violence? Join Tony Brueski as we break down the evidence, the timeline, and the fractured relationships behind one of Nevada’s most shocking murder trials.  Because this isn’t just a courtroom drama — it’s a portrait of obsession, identity, and the darkest edges of family power. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #DevynMichaels #JohnathanWillette #TrueCrime #MurderTrial #NevadaCrime #LoveTriangle #CrimeStories #Podcast 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 Nov 14min

Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction was supposed to be the end of the story — but now the outcome of his trial is under review at the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the spotlight isn’t just on the evidence… it’s on the courthouse itself. In today’s Hidden Killers episode, Tony Brueski and former prosecutor/defense attorney Eric Faddis tackle the most explosive element of the appeal: allegations that Clerk of Court Becky Hill may have influenced the jury, urged a quick verdict, commented on Murdaugh’s body language, and then wrote a book she financially benefited from. One juror claims Hill whispered, “Watch him… don’t be fooled.” The state says it doesn’t matter. The defense says it absolutely does. Tony and Eric take listeners inside the legal and psychological weight of jury influence: What happens when a court official speaks to a juror about the defendant? Can a juror truly “un-hear” a remark from someone in authority? And how should the justices interpret Hill’s later criminal charges — irrelevant noise, or evidence of a compromised system? The episode also digs into the evidence battle the appeal now centers on. Was this a murder trial supported by overwhelming proof — or a character trial overloaded with financial-crime testimony unrelated to the shootings? Were missing DNA tests, uncollected fingerprints, and absent gunshot residue analysis harmless mistakes… or constitutional failures? And when the public already picked a side long before the verdict, how much pressure do the justices feel to either protect the system’s credibility or correct its mistakes? This appeal isn’t just about Alex Murdaugh’s freedom. It’s about whether the justice system can still be trusted to police itself — or whether the courtroom became a stage where fairness took a back seat to outcome. #AlexMurdaugh #BeckyHill #TrueCrimePodcast #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #MurdaughAppeal #JusticeSystem #CourtIntegrity #EricFaddis #CrimeDiscussion 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

14 Nov 27min

An 18-year-old high-school senior, Anna Kepner, boarded the Carnival Horizon in early November 2025 for what was supposed to be a weeklong Caribbean getaway. Within days, she was found dead onboard. The ship returned to Port Miami, and waiting at the pier were agents from the FBI. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we break down the facts only — no speculation, no rumors. What do we actually know about what happened aboard the Carnival Horizon? Why does the FBI take the lead when a death occurs on the open sea? And how common are fatalities aboard cruise ships that carry millions of passengers every year? Tony unpacks the confirmed timeline: when Anna was found, when the ship returned, and how federal jurisdiction under Title 18 U.S. Code § 7 gives the FBI authority over deaths that happen in U.S. maritime territory. We also look at the bigger picture — how cruise lines handle onboard deaths, what the statistics show, and why so few details ever reach the public. This is not about gossip — it’s about transparency, procedure, and accountability when tragedy strikes far from shore. A promising life ended in silence. The investigation continues. And we ask the question every parent and passenger deserves answered: How does someone die at sea — and why don’t we hear the truth sooner? Stay tuned for updates as the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner and FBI release their findings. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #AnnaKepner #CarnivalHorizon #FBIInvestigation #CruiseShipDeath #TrueCrimePodcast #MaritimeLaw #FBI #CarnivalCruise #HiddenKillersPodcast 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

14 Nov 12min