In an era where sensationalism often trumps substance, the True Crime Reporter® podcast offers a bracing alternative—a meticulously crafted, investigative lens focused on the intricacies and nuances of criminal cases that grip public consciousness. Created and hosted by Robert Riggs, a Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter based in Dallas, Texas, the podcast peels back the layers of high-profile criminal investigations, offering an unprecedented level of detail and insight. True Crime Reporter® is not merely a recitation of facts and timelines. Drawing upon exclusive interviews with experts, from law enforcement agents to forensic psychologists, Riggs dives into the complexity and gravity of each case. He explores not just the "what" and the "who" but the often elusive "why" behind criminal acts, meticulously unraveling the sociopolitical threads that often inform them. The narrative richness of the podcast is underscored by its ethical rigor. Riggs goes beyond the superficial to offer a humanized portrait of both victims and perpetrators, challenging listeners to confront their preconceptions and biases...
https://www.truecrimereporter.com/episodes/
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 4 days 20 hours 14 minutes
episode 1: Don't Fence Me In - Why No Texas Prison Could Hold This Inmate
Willie Nelson sings about riding in the wide-open spaces with lyrics titled “Don’t Fence Me In”. “Don’t Fence Me In” was the ballad of Texas inmate Dennis Wayne Hope. Hope bragged that there wasn’t a prison in the state of Texas that could hold him. The convicted armed robber went as far as to imitate the prisoner played by Paul Newman in Hollywood’s Cool Hank Luke...
episode 2: The Minister Who Almost Got Away With Murder
Husbands who murder their wives often go to great lengths to concoct stories about their disappearance or sudden death. They may give tearful appeals for help on television newscasts. They typically think that they are smarter than the police and can get away with murder. But there are no perfect crimes. Murderers often slip up when they try to make the crime scene look like what they’ve seen on television shows. Eagle-eyed investigators can see right through it...
episode 3: Inside The Police Beat Covering One Of The U.S. Worst Serial Killers
Serial killer Kenneth McDuff fixated on the female reporters who covered his capital murder trial. After a Texas jury sentenced McDuff to death by lethal injection, he sent off a letter to one of the reporters. The letter written behind bars sickened reporter Rebecca Rodriguez She had covered the abduction of Colleen Reed, a petite 29-year old accountant, from an Austin, Texas self-service car wash shortly after Christmas in 1991...
episode 4: How Cold Case Detectives Solved A 46-Year Old Murder
46 years after the abduction, torture, and murder of a 17-year-old girl, cold case detectives with the Fort Worth police department arrested a 78-year old Glen McCurley and charged him with capital murder. McCurley abducted Carla Walker from the parking lot of a bowling alley. Walker had been to a Valentine’s day dance with her 17-year old boyfriend. McCurley pistol-whipped Walker’s boyfriend and tried to shoot him in the head three times but the pistol’s magazine fell out...
episode 5: Criminal Intel: What Officers Learn About Crime From State Jails
David Grantham a former Air Force Intelligence officer encountered Al Qaeda, ISIS, and the Taliban during his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he heads up criminal intelligence operations for Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn from its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Grantham holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas Christian University and a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University...
episode 6: The Ghastly Story Of A Mother Who Murdered Her Children
The 1950s were called the “Happy Days”. The war was over. The economy was booming. The American Dream was in full swing. In 1957 it was estimated that one baby was being born every second. The Lone Rangerwas a hit TV show. Little boys acted out their mythical western adventures on stick horses. But the dream became a nightmare for two brothers in Texas. Their murders at the hand of their knife-wielding mother shocked the world...
episode 7: The Mind Of The Murderer - What Makes A Killer?
In our previous episode of the True Crime Reporter™ podcast, we presented the murder case of Annie Laurie Williams. Williams bludgeoned her 8 and 9-year-old sons to death and then dispassionately dismembered their bodies to dispose of them. Her acts are unthinkable. In order to bring perspective and understanding to such a crime, Cohosts Robert Riggs and Bill Johnston reached out to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Richard Taylor in the United Kingdom. Dr...
episode 8: Texas Rangers Brave Bullets and Flames To Rescue 13-Year Old Girl From Kidnappers
This episode marks the inaugural edition of the True Crime Reporter™ Texas Ranger Case Files. Robert Riggs and Bill Johnston feature exclusive stories about criminal cases in interviews with legendary officers of the Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers constitute the oldest state law enforcement organization in North America dating to 1823. You can read more about the history of the Texas Rangers and their influence on popular culture on our blog at the True Crime Reporter™ website...
episode 9: The Day The Last Texas Ranger Died - Saving A Two-Year Old Girl
In the previous episode of True Crime Reporter™ Texas Ranger Files, we told the story of brave Rangers who kept up the pursuit of kidnappers while their car was being riddled with gunfire and was engulfed in flames...
episode 10: Murder, Mayhem, & Meth -- The Real Breaking Bad In Texas Badlands
Murder Mayhem & Meth -- The Real Life Breaking Bad In Texas If you were a fan of the Breaking BadTV series, get ready to listen to the real version in Texas. The TV series featured a fictional high school chemistry teacher named Walter White diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor who manufactures high-grade meth in order to put away cash for his family’s future. It is not far from the truth. During the 1980s, Central and East Texas were dotted with illicit meth labs set up in remote farmhouses...