Robert Riggs - Podcast Details

Shows

True Crime ReporterThe Rock: Alcatraz’s Chilling True Crime Legacy Alcatraz shut its cell doors more than 60 years ago, but its grip on the American imagination hasn’t loosened. Each year, nearly a million and a half tourists ride the ferry across San Francisco Bay, through cold, choppy waters, to walk the crumbling corridors of the most infamous prison in U.S. history. Visitors today frequently cite the desire to see the cellblocks that once confined legendary outlaws, Notorious gangsters such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert “Birdman” Stroud were inmates here, cementing Alcatraz’s image as the end of the line for...2025-05-1347 min

True Crime ReporterThe Click That Opens The Door To Cyber HellYou Just Thought Your Home Was Safe By Robert Riggs You lock your doors at night. You check on your kids. But what if the real threat is already inside—hiding in your phone, your smart TV, or your child’s video game chat? In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, former federal probation officer Art Bowker takes us into the digital battlefield unfolding inside your home. Bowker’s book Surviving a Cyberattack: Securing Social Media and Protecting Your Home warns how predators groom teenagers with flattery, how romance scammers bleed retirees...2025-05-0634 min

True Crime ReporterWhy Do Women Love True Crime?A Former 48 Hours Producer Reveals the Psychology and Power Behind the Genre By Robert Riggs When the curtain drops on everyday life, true crime shows like this podcast and especially those on television expose the darkest side of humanity. Television relentlessly chases the latest trending crimes on police blotters and court dockets. Claire St. Amant pursued those stories in the cutthroat world of prime-time television as a producer for CBS 48 Hours. She also produced segments for 60 Minutes. She’s written a memoir about her experiences, Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Cr...2025-04-2935 min

True Crime ReporterThis Is Not The Godfather – It’s the Brutal Truth About the MobBy Robert Riggs The Godfather. Goodfellas. The Sopranos. Hollywood entertained us with polished fiction—honor among thieves, loyalty bound by blood, men of principle wrapped in tailored suits. But the real mob? It was darker. Colder. Predatory. The smile came first. The knife came after. This is the true story of how FBI Special Agent Mike Campi helped dismantle the Genovese crime family—the oldest, largest, and most insidious of New York’s five Mafia Families. Founded by Charles “Lucky” Luciano in 1931. Consolidated under Vito Genovese in the late 1950s. The family onc...2025-04-2227 min

True Crime ReporterCIA Mafia Spies Plot To Kill Castro Hidden From JFK ProbeMobsters Hit Tony Soprano Style Before They Can Testify By Robert Riggs The JFK assassination files recently released by President Trump shed more light on the secret plot by the CIA to use Mafia gangsters to kill Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Investigative reporter Thomas Maier, the author of Mafia Spies, his book about the unlikely alliance between the CIA and mobsters, is back to discuss the latest revelations. This is the second part of my True Crime Reporter® series about the Mafia Spies. Two Chicago gangsters, Sam Giancana and Johnny Roselli, were central t...2025-04-1533 min

True Crime ReporterA Terrifying New Scam Bringing Fraudsters to Your Home Beware of the Fraudster Knocking At Your Door Scammers don’t just lurk online—they may be coming straight to your front door. For centuries, con artists have refined their craft, using deception and misdirection to separate victims from their money. But today’s fraudsters have more sophisticated tools than ever before. The worst part? You won’t even realize you’ve been conned until it’s too late. In this episode, I break down the playbook of modern swindlers with Jim Grinstead, veteran newspaperman and host of the Scams and Cons podcast...2025-03-1821 min

True Crime ReporterBlood Pacts and Breaking Bad: The Rise and Fall of the Devil Lovers In the shadow of Texas’ heartland, a clandestine cult flourished under the guise of dark rituals and methamphetamine production. Known as the Devil Lovers, this group of middle-aged men and women from prominent Waco families engaged in sinister ceremonies, pledging allegiance to their enigmatic leader, David Russell Zell. Their twisted journey from occult gatherings to running the state’s largest illicit meth lab in the late 1980s unfolded a tale stranger than fiction. Join investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston as they delve into the spine-chilling case of meth, murd...2024-06-2527 min

True Crime ReporterBlood Pacts and Breaking Bad: The Rise and Fall of the Devil LoversIn the shadow of Texas' heartland, a clandestine cult flourished under the guise of dark rituals and methamphetamine production. Known as the Devil Lovers, this group of middle-aged men and women from prominent Waco families engaged in sinister ceremonies, pledging allegiance to their enigmatic leader, David Russell Zell. Their twisted journey from occult gatherings to running the state's largest illicit meth lab in the late 1980s unfolded a tale stranger than fiction. Join investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston as they delve into the spine-chilling case of meth, murder, and malevolence that shocked a community and...2024-06-2527 min

True Crime ReporterTrue Crime Meets Fiction: Exploring Serial Killer Psychology with David Bethel Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs dives into the mind of a serial killer with author John David Bethel as we explore his latest novel “Mapping The Night.” Bethel’s books stand out for their profound basis in real-life cases. His fiction and nonfiction offer a unique lens through which to explore the darkest corners of the human mind. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR...2024-06-1822 min

True Crime ReporterTrue Crime Meets Fiction: Exploring Serial Killer Psychology with David BethelInvestigative Reporter Robert Riggs dives into the mind of a serial killer with author John David Bethel as we explore his latest novel “Mapping The Night.” Bethel's books stand out for their profound basis in real-life cases. His fiction and nonfiction offer a unique lens through which to explore the darkest corners of the human mind. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT that you want to hear more about 2024-06-1822 min

True Crime ReporterWhy A Serial Killer’s Cell Phone Threats from Death Row Haunt Us TodayDeath Row Calling--I Know Where Your Daughters Live I delve into the shadowy underworld of contraband communication, where prisoners wielding illegal cell phones orchestrate a web of threats and criminal enterprises from behind bars. My story revolves around the chilling case of Richard Tabler, a serial killer on Texas Death Row. Tabler's audacious use of a smuggled cell phone to threaten a Texas Senator ignited a political firestorm, unmasking a glaring security breach within the prison system. Contraband Cell Phones Seized at the Polunsky Prison Unit in Texas I reveal the alarming extent to which inmates can exploit contraband technology to...2023-12-1222 min

True Crime ReporterDollars for Terror: The Holy Land Foundation’s Illegal Scheme To Fund HamasFrom The Investigative Archives In the wake of the recent Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis, my True Crime Reporter® podcast opened its investigative archive on the Gaza-based group's past fundraising and recruitment in the United States. After my embedded assignment with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, investigative producer Todd Bensman and I focused on how terrorists were using the Internet to raise money and recruit followers. Embedded Reporter Robert Riggs waits out a sandstorm in Iraq with a crew from the 101st Airborne flying a CH-47 Chinook helicopter dubbed the "Apocalypse Cow" O...2023-10-1614 min

True Crime ReporterUnmasking PTSD: A Cop’s 26-Year Struggle Beyond the BadgeAfter 26 years in law enforcement, Glen Williams has experienced the toll that bearing witness to violence and tragedy can take. Williams, like many first responders, bottled up the pain and soldiered on. Unaware that his PTSD was wrecking his life at home and on the job. Hello, this is Robert Riggs. In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast, we look behind the badge of the men and women in blue. Glen Williams has written a book titled Bridging The Gap aimed at helping police officers and other first responders heal after years of trauma. He speaks on the subj...2023-09-2627 min

True Crime ReporterCrisis-Proof Your Life: Fieldcraft Survival on Personal Safety & PreparednessThere's a crime trend sweeping the United States of flash mob thieves charging into department stores to make off with armfuls of loot. Gangs rush inside affluent suburban neighborhoods in night to break into cars. This episode of the True Crime Reporter® podcast responds to those of you asking me what they should do amid a growing wave of violence in urban America and overseas. A U.S. businesswoman recently told me she is afraid to work alone in a big city. I contacted Kevin Estela, the Director of Training for Fieldcraft Survival. L-R. Jared Taylor, USAF Vet - Andy S...2023-09-1841 min

True Crime ReporterNo Justice for A Texas Cowboy: A $750 Million Elder Abuse TragedyInvestigative Reporter Stephen Michaud, among the nation’s best, spent six years unraveling how an iconic ranch was taken from a dying Texas Cowboy. It's a sprawling Texas ranch near the border with Mexico where the biggest producing gas well in the United States was struck in 2004. The ranch and its mineral assets have amassed a 750 Million dollar fortune. But, the cowboy who once owned it and his relatives never saw a penny. According to my guest, it’s a case of elder abuse like none other. Hello. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs with a longtime friend and fellow investig...2023-09-1238 min

True Crime ReporterThe Reporter Behind the Crime Stories: Robert Riggs Tells AllIn this week’s episode of True Crime Reporter®, Michael Jackson, the host of the A Funny Way of Looking Podcast, interviews me about the age-old appeal of crime stories. Michael’s podcast aims to educate in a fun environment, enlighten, entertain, and inspire listeners and viewers. We talk serial killers, journalism ethics, the scariest criminal I ever met, and more. Plus, Michael hits me with a two-option answer quiz called "This Or That?" to reveal more about the real Robert Riggs. Here’s Michael Jackson’s interview with me on the A Funny Way of Looking Podcast. FOLLOW the True Crim...2023-09-0441 min

True Crime ReporterDefusing Tension in 90 Seconds: A Game Changer for Inmates and the PublicDoug Noll says murderers are not born, they're bred. Today kids revert to what they see around them...violence. Doug Noll founded the Prison of Peace Project. Noll teaches hardcore inmates how to de-escalate an angry, emotional person in 90 seconds or less. It’s a skill that we can all benefit from learning in this era of violence. Hello, this is Robert Riggs taking you inside the crime scene tape in this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast. Besides telling interesting crime stories, it is also my mission to educate. Unless you have been living under a rock, you kno...2023-08-3036 min

True Crime ReporterFlipping Off Angry Drivers Can Get You Killed On US HighwaysRoad rage violence shatters records on US Highways. Experts say a perfect storm of post-pandemic anger and violent criminals out of jail due to liberal bail practices has set off a wave of deadly road rage shootings. Capt Greg Fremin (Ret'd) Houston Police Department Retired Houston Police Captain Greg Fremin tracks the growing carnage at Sam Houston State’s College of Criminal Justice located in Huntsville, Texas. The numbers have run off the highway as stressed-out, violent drivers turn their rage into the wild wild west on American highways. On average, 44 people are killed or wounded on U.S. roadways eve...2023-07-1115 min

True Crime ReporterRise And Fall Of A Pro Pitcher: From the Bull Pen To The Texas PenThe high school baseball player hung a homemade motivational sign on the wall of his bedroom. It read Brandon Puffer will be a Major League Baseball player. Indeed, Puffer made it to what ballplayers call “The Show.” Only to fall from the Bullpen to the State Penitentiary in Texas. Brandon Puffer was a pitcher on the Boston Red Sox baseball team when they broke a century-old curse and won the World Series in 2004. But four years later, a Texas jury sentenced Puffer to five years in prison. He survived the tough Texas prison system and is now out. Puffer has writte...2023-06-2638 min

True Crime ReporterUnveiling Manipulation: Lies Used to Take Advantage of the InnocentWould You Believe This Face? Do text messages warn you that your streaming account has a billing issue or an unpaid customs charge on a package? Those are just some of the latest scams criminals use to fleece you. Hello, I’m Robert Riggs with a story from inside the crime scene tape where people bleed money. Lies designed to cheat you or break your heart thrive on the Internet. The truth is in short supply. In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, I want to arm you with some tools to protect yourself from the flood of falsehoods. Dr. See...2023-06-1231 min

True Crime ReporterTexas Justice Prevails: Texas Deputy Steve January Arrested Killers For 34 YearsSteve January, the Chief Deputy of the McLennan County Sheriff in Waco, Texas, was a lawman cut from denim of the old west. Hundreds of officers recently paid their last respects to January, whose life was not cut short by a bullet from his many face-offs with killers but by cancer. I’m Robert Riggs with a story about an officer who fought many a round seeking justice inside the crime scene tape. L to R Robert Riggs & Chief Deputy Steve January Hold "Yellowstone" Hoodie Worn By Nicole Sheridan Steve and I were last pictured together holding up a barrel rac...2023-06-1231 min

True Crime ReporterShe Lived Next Door To America’s Most Infamous Killer: The UNABOMBERBefore, there was Osama bin Laden. Before, there was Timothy McVeigh. There was Ted Kaczynski. The UNABOMBER. FBI codename for “UNiversity and Airline BOMBER.” For sixteen years, Jamie Gehring grew up next door to Ted Kaczynski. She never had a clue that the man who appeared to be a harmless hermit was one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th Century. Hello. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs here to ask you a chilling question from inside the crime scene tape. Do any of us really know our neighbor? Homemade Metal Shrapnel Ted Kaczynski mailed and hand-delivered homemade bombs to p...2023-05-1641 min

True Crime ReporterHow DNA Forensic Genetic Genealogy Brought A Monster To Justice50 Sexual Assault Victims Will Never Forget The Stare of Serial Rapist David Hawkins When He Held A Gun To Their Heads This is the third episode in my series about how new DNA technology solves previously unsolvable cold cases. It’s called FGG -- Forensic Genetic Genealogy. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs taking you inside the crime scene case into how the first use of forensic genetic genealogy in Dallas County, Texas, caught a serial rapist responsible for over 50 victims. 76-year-old David Thomas Hawkins - Serial Rapist - Serving Life Sentence - Michael Maximum Security Prison - Texas 75-year-old David...2023-05-0939 min

True Crime ReporterSolving The Toughest Cold Case Murders With Forensic Genetic GenealogyThe Golden State Killer got away with 12 murders, 50 rapes, and more than 100 burglaries for over forty years before being caught. DNA evidence from his crime scenes never matched DNA samples in the FBI’s CODIS databases because he had never been arrested for murder or rape. Eventually, investigators uploaded the profile to genealogy sites and identified a relative on the killer’s family tree. It led to the conviction of James DeAngelo, a 72-year-old former police officer. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs from inside the crime scene tape reporting how DNA analysis, called Forensic Genetic Genealogy, also known as FGG, is...2023-05-0821 min

True Crime ReporterThe Power of Forensic DNA: Bringing Killers and Sexual Predators to JusticeThe Double Helix That Catches Killers And Sexual Predators Sitting across the desk from a DNA profiler, she told me that I was leaving a trail of cells in her office that would lead back to me, especially if I committed a crime there. The rapid advancement of science and technology makes DNA evidence a powerful investigative tool for catching killers and rapists, solving cold cases, identifying missing persons, and clearing the innocent. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs here to take you inside the crime scene tape to look at how DNA plays a central role in the judicial syst...2023-04-2519 min

True Crime ReporterThe Enduring Fascination of Bonnie and Clyde: A Love Story Gone WrongBonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were two of the most notorious outlaws in American history, forever linked to the public consciousness. They were young, daring, and dangerous, and they captured the imagination of a country struggling through the Great Depression. But behind the legend lay the harsh reality of their lives, a story of poverty, violence, and desperation. They met in Dallas, Texas, and were immediately drawn to each other. Together, Bonnie and Clyde embarked on a crime spree that would capture the nation's attention and make them both into legends. They robbed banks, gas stations, and stores across the So...2023-04-1123 min

True Crime ReporterA Shocking Failure of Justice: A Serial Rapist And Serial Killer Murder Six TeensKenneth McDuff - "The Brookstick Killer" & Jerry McFadden "The Animal" Texas Death Row Inmates Called Them The “Macs.” Kenneth McDuff and Jerry McFadden. Two violent psychopaths hated and feared by fellow death row inmates. Two killers with a lust for randomly abducting, raping, and murdering young people. Suzanne Harrison Gena Turner Bryan Boone Two killers whose victims would still be alive if Texas had kept them behind bars. In this episode, investigative reporter Robert Riggs takes listeners inside the crime scene tape of one of Texas' most brutal killers. Jerry "Animal" McFadden He called himself "The Animal."2023-04-0415 min

True Crime ReporterInside the Minds of Death Row Inmates: A Terrifying Journey Into EvilJerry "Animal" McFadden Pastor Wayne Whiteside says, “there are people that seem to be hell-bent on being held bound.” Whiteside knows of what he preaches after ministering to prison inmates for thirty-nine years. He spent the last 24 years talking with death row inmates in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Whiteside says he has looked evil in the eye and seen nothing but empty souls. He has come face to face with the worst of the worst of serial killers who inflicted unimaginable pain and suffering on their victims. Whiteside holds an unusual perspective on capital punishment. He has witnessed 30 exec...2023-03-2854 min

True Crime ReporterWomen Who Kill: This Bank Robber Viciously Shot Her Victim In The BackJerry and Dava Truett lived well beyond their means in the small central Texas town of Kosse. They owned a lake house and a speed boat. They drove a pair of expensive pickup trucks and numerous recreational vehicles. Townfolk thought they were receiving oil and gas money from their farmland or had an inheritance. How Did They Live Such An Extravagant Lifestyle On Small-Town Wages? The small community of 500 people confronted the cold-blooded truth about the couple's lifestyle when 52-year-old Michael Wells was murdered inside the First State Bank of Kosse. Sue and Michael Wells (Slain President of First State...2023-02-1731 min

True Crime ReporterIdaho Arrest Affidavit Traces Path Of Suspected Killer of 4 StudentsHomicide detectives and even killers categorize the slain four University of Idaho students as “shiny” victims. They were young, innocent, and attractive. John Moriarty, the former Inspector General of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, says such cases motivate investigators to go the extra mile to solve the crime. “It’s the ultimate good versus evil,” said Moriarty. Investigators used sophisticated techniques detailed in an arrest warrant affidavit, including DNA, cell phone data, and ubiquitous video surveillance cameras, to charge 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger with murdering four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home on November 13, 2022. If Kohberer, a Ph.D. criminology...2023-01-1745 min

True Crime ReporterTrue Crime Reporter® Answers Questions About Murder MysteriesThis episode marks Part 2 of questions posed to investigative reporter Robert Riggs by true crime fan and Texas A&M architecture major Patricia Rocha. Hopefully, listeners can take away advice about staying safe in the wake of an arrest of a suspect in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022, at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Two other roommates upstairs slept through the brutal slayings. The mysterious murder struck fear in college students across the country. This continues our new press conference at the True Crime Reporter® podcast. This episode marks the second part of o...2023-01-0533 min

True Crime ReporterReporter Robert Riggs Answers Questions About Serial KillersSerial Killer Kenneth McDuff's Mug Shots Record Life Of Crime In a new press conference-style episode, True Crime Reporter's Robert Riggs takes questions from fans. True crime fan Patricia Rocha turns the table on Riggs and asks what it is like to go inside the crime scene tape. Riggs recently met Rocha, an architecture student, and her friends at a ceremony for Outstanding Alumni from the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. Afterward, Rocha and her friends peppered him with questions about true crime cases. Robert-Riggs-Outstanding-Alum-College-of-Architecture-Texas-AM-and-Patricia-Rocha-Arch-Student Looking on was Bill Peel, an Outstanding Alum and Executive Director of In...2022-12-2726 min

True Crime ReporterA Mother’s Pursuit of Justice: The Contract Murder of Dan MarkelFSU Law Prof Dan Markel Was Shot Point Blank By Contract Killers as He Pulled Into The Garage of His Home Murder is a life sentence for the victim’s family and friends. Closure is a myth perpetuated by the news media. During three decades of investigative reporting, Robert Riggs has witnessed how the victim’s families often suffer in silence and are left out of the confusing criminal justice process. In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® podcast, Ruth Markel shares a remarkable story of grief, resilience, and hope during an eight-year murder investigation that is not over. FSU La...2022-12-1341 min

True Crime Reporter“To Catch A Predator” — Chris Hansen Reports How Children Are At Risk On Social MediaChris Hansen, the journalist who created the televised series To Catch A Predator, warns that the problem of adults preying on children for sex is growing at an alarming rate. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reported that during the peak of the pandemic, inappropriate contacts between adults and children, predatory contacts, as well as the transmission of inappropriate material between adults and children shot up nearly 900%. Indicative of the problem is the case of the former Virginia police officer accused of “catfishing” a teenage girl and murdering her grandparents and her mother. “Catfishing” is a form of online...2022-12-0629 min

True Crime ReporterDeep Fried Theft Rings Cash In On Blackmarket Cooking OilCooking oil left over from french fries and fried chicken has become liquid gold. Organized criminal gangs are emptying storage tanks at restaurants and convenience stores across the United States. Hello. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs with an unusual story from inside the crime scene tape. Did you know a gallon of used cooking oil is now worth more than a gallon of gasoline? The thefts fuel a multimillion-dollar black market. Gary Edgington Working Counter Insurgency and IED's in Iraq for the U.S. Army Here to talk about it is Gary Edgington, a 40-year law enforcement veteran. We are...2022-11-2842 min

True Crime Reporter“Whoever Comes In This Room Is Going To Die With Us”Nester Oswaldo Hernandez -- Parolee Charged With Murdering 2 Nurses In Dallas June 2022 Sitting in the maternity ward of Dallas Methodist Hospital, 30-year-old Nester Oswaldo Hernandez told his girlfriend “we are both going to die today, and whoever comes in this room is going to die with us.” Hernandez, a violent offender out on early parole in Texas, executed a social worker and a nurse as they entered the room of his girlfriend and newborn baby, according to a Dallas police arrest warrant. Hernandez had just accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. He pistol-whipped her and fatally shot the two heal...2022-11-1549 min

True Crime ReporterMurderers Can Run, But They Can’t Hide From Their Forensic DNA Genealogy14-year-old Stephanie Anne Isaacson Prom Photo 1989 14-year-old Stephanie Anne Isaacson left her father’s apartment in North Las Vegas on June 1, 1989. She walked through an empty sandlot, her usual shortcut, to the Eldorado High School. The ninth grader never attended her 7:30 AM class at Eldorado High School. Later that evening, officers found her body under a piece of discarded carpet in a sandlot that Isaacson used to take a shortcut to school. Stephanie was the victim of a blitz attack. Her black shirt was pulled up, and her jeans pulled down. Her shoes and other belongings were missing. The freshman wi...2022-10-2733 min

True Crime ReporterHeat2: The Hollywood Shootout In Which Life Imitates ArtAs I stood in the LA office of the FBI’s bank robbery coordinator, veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder pointed to a wall plastered with bank surveillance photos. 33-year veteran FBI Agent Bill Rehder Ran The FBI Bank Robbery Squad In Los Angeles Rehder ticked off the nicknames of a rogue’s gallery of serial bank robbers. The baby bandits, the big nose bandit, the big ears bandit, the skunk bandit, the ponytail bandit, the grandpa bandit. Hello, I’m Robert Riggs with a story from inside the crime scene tape at what was the bank robbery capital of the world i...2022-09-2045 min

True Crime ReporterThis Bank Gets Robbed Every Day – Former FBI Agent Don BentleyThere’s a bank in Quantico, Virginia, that gets robbed every day. And I am going to take you there. Hello. I’m Robert Riggs. In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, former FBI Agent Don Bentley takes us inside the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. New Special Agents start their career there in an intensive 20-week long training program. Realistic training scenarios unfold in a mock town called Hogan’s Alley named after a comic strip from the 1890s. Town House In Hogan's Alley That Is The Site Of Many Mock Shootouts At The FBI Academy In Quantico, Virginia I’ve rep...2022-09-0734 min

True Crime ReporterWhen First Responders Need Help This Is Why They Call SWATIn the previous episode, Inside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11, the negotiator for the Dallas SWAT team revealed the inside story about the mass killer who ambushed Dallas officers during a Black Lives Matter protest five years ago. Members of our True Crime Community have asked to learn more about the purpose of SWAT teams. SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics. It’s a highly trained elite unit selected from rank-and-file officers who apply. In the True Crime Reporter™ podcast episode published on July 18, 2022, about the Uvalde School Shooting, Police Waited To Subdue Killer While Uvalde...2022-08-2231 min

True Crime ReporterInside Story Of The Deadliest Attack On Police Officers Since 9/11On the evening of July 7, 2016, Black Lives Matter protesters marched in downtown Dallas and other cities nationwide. They peacefully gathered in response to the police shootings of two black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. A few blocks from the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an African American man who had left the U.S. Army following disgraceful conduct got out of his SUV, ready for combat. The mass murderer arrived with a calculated plan to kill police officers, preferably white officers. Wearing tactical gear, a bullet-resistant vest, and armed with a high-powered assault rifle, he, i...2022-08-151h 12

True Crime ReporterTales of Murder and Mayhem from Former Prosecutor Bill Johnston.The True Crime Reporter® Podcast features stories and interviews from the respective careers of investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston. Listeners have asked how both of them got involved in investigating criminal cases. In response, the podcast featured an episode with Riggs on July 4, 2022, explaining how he first got involved in digging for information during the Watergate scandal case while working for Congressman Wright Patman. In this episode, we cover the highlights of Bill Johnston’s distinguished law career. Bill devoted his career as a federal prosecutor to, in effect, protect the sheep from the wol...2022-08-0848 min

True Crime ReporterFrom Convict To CEO — Turning Inmates Into Business EntrepreneursMany U.S. prisons are trade schools for crime. High recidivism rates underscore the failure of the current criminal justice system. Released and rearrested inmates pass through an expensive revolving door. The Texas prison used to be called the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC), but there was little evidence that it corrected bad behavior. In Texas, nearly one-fourth of the prisoners released return within three years. Nationally, half of the prisoners released return within three years. However, the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), an independent nonprofit organization in Texas, puts inmates within one to three years of parole eligibility on the pa...2022-08-0345 min

True Crime ReporterThe Growing Threat Of Grievance Killings – Why More People Are Losing ItA growing threat of grievance killings is taking center stage across the world. Recent examples include the assassination of Japan’s popular prime minister to a patient in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who gunned down two doctors and two medical personnel because he was angry about ongoing pain following his surgery. Sasha Larkin, the Deputy Chief of the Homeland Security Division at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, describes this new threat. Dep Chief Sasha Larkin of the Homeland Security Division at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department The 22-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says it was easier to d...2022-07-2548 min

True Crime ReporterPolice Waited To Subdue Killer While Uvalde School Children Lay DyingA 77-page report by a special committee of the Texas House of Representatives concluded that no one was able to stop the gunman from carrying out the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in part because of “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” by nearly everyone involved who was in a position of power. 376 law enforcement officers descended on the school in a chaotic, uncoordinated scene devoid of clear leadership and a sense of urgency to take down the gunman, according to the report. It is the most exhaustive account of what happened to date, and it was released on Sun...2022-07-1847 min

True Crime ReporterA Love Triangle Ends In An Alleged Murderous Fit Of Jealous Rage25-year-old Anna Moriah Wilson, known as “Mo” was an up-and-coming professional cyclist in gravel racing. Friends described her as a beacon and light and energy. But another cyclist, Kailin Armstrong allegedly snuffed out that light in a hail of gunfire. Shockwaves from the grievance killing spread from Austin, Texas where the murder occurred to news media around the world. It is a true-crime story that is stranger than fiction. Two female cyclists vying for the affection of a male cyclist were on a tragic collision course. Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs takes fans inside the crime scene tape with Austin homicide detect...2022-07-1120 min

True Crime ReporterThe Watergate Scandal — A Tale Of Bribery And International IntrigueMany of you have asked how Robert became an investigative reporter. After all, most of the stories you hear on this podcast come from my reporter’s notebook. Riggs' career path has zigged and zagged since I received a degree in Architecture and Construction from Texas A&M University. Upon graduation, he headed off to Capitol Hill. In this episode, my cohost, former prosecutor Bill Johnston, takes me back to the Watergate scandal 50 years ago. Bill has never heard some of these stories, and in later episodes, Riggs will interview him about his high-profile criminal cases. Riggs shares a muck-raking tal...2022-07-041h 07

True Crime ReporterStop The Killing – How To End The Mass Shooting CrisisKatherine Schweit headed up the FBI’s active shooter program, where she authored the bureau’s landmark research about mass shootings and how to respond best to save lives. In the wake of the massacre of children and their teachers in Uvalde, Texas, school safety weighs heavily on the minds of teachers and students’ families. In this episode of True Crime Reporter®, investigative reporter Robert Riggs and Schweit discuss why the number of mass shootings is spiking to the point that some parents are afraid to send their children to school. Riggs is no stranger to this tragic subject. In October...2022-06-2458 min

True Crime ReporterCold War Secrets: A Cyanide Murder Mystery Involving the FBI and CIAWas it a case of cloak and dagger among spies? Or was it a plain old case of murder driven by lust and the desire for money? It is a mystery that lives on 50 years after a popular Czech professor vanished from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Was he a double or triple agent who crossed his masters in a Cold War game of spy vs. spy? Is he living out his years on a tropical island, or do his remains lie at the bottom of an abandoned gold mine? Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eileen Welsome provides long-awaited answers to...2022-06-0649 min

True Crime ReporterRev Matt Baker – The Sinister Minister Who Almost Got Away With MurderMatt Baker, the charismatic Baptist minister who almost got away with murdering his wife is among our most popular episodes. On his way to the pulpit in Waco, Texas, Baker molested numerous young women. An investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest Protestant denomination, revealed that church leaders covered up sexual assaults by hundreds of pastors like Matt Bakers for twenty years. A seven-month investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions released in May of 2022 found that sex-abusing pastors were often passed along to other churches with no notice or warnings. Two top officials of the Southern Baptist Convention kept th...2022-05-3045 min

True Crime ReporterJail House Romances: Why Do Women Fall In Love With Serial Killers?Can you imagine yourself falling in love with a serial killer or murderer to the point you will give up your family, career, and even your life for them? A veteran Alabama jail officer, Vicky White, did just that in April of 2022 when she staged a getaway with a capital murder suspect. The 56-year-old White had an unblemished record. She was on her last day of work before retirement. Her colleagues had just voted her Corrections Employee of the Year for a fifth time before she went on the run. At first, the Lauderdale County Sheriff in Florence, Alabama, thought W...2022-05-2334 min

True Crime ReporterThe Greatest Escape From Texas Death Row Since Bonnie & ClydeIn this vintage photo 1993, Peabody Award-Winning Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs stands on a guard tower overlooking Texas Death Row. Poking up behind him to the right of the large spotlight is the steeple of the prison, the chapel, where seven condemned prisoners made their daring break for freedom five years later. 29-year Martin Gurule, a cold-blooded killer from Corpus Christi in South Texas, made it over the prison’s fence on a foggy Thanksgiving night under a hail of rifle fire from guard towers. The last time condemned killers had broken out of prison in Texas was in 1934, when two mem...2022-05-2325 min

True Crime ReporterSheriff Parnell McNamara Rides Herd On The Lawless Solving Cold CasesSheriff Parnell McNamara promised his constituents in McLennan County, Texas around Waco that he would actively pursue cold cases. McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara & Reporter Robert Riggs McNamara was elected for a third four-year term in January 2021. He has made good on his campaign pledge to open up long-forgotten homicide cases. Because as McNamara sees it, no one should get away with murder, and the victim’s family deserves to know what happened. U.S. Marshall Guy McNamara 1933 (on right) Guy McNamara Constable 1907 (seated) The McNamara clan started in law enforcement in 1902 with Guy McNamara, who President Franklin Roosevelt later ap...2022-05-0334 min

True Crime ReporterHow Cold Case Investigator Paul Holes Unmasked The Golden State KillerCold case investigator Paul Holes played a major role in ending a decades-long reign of terror by The Golden State Killer. First known as The East Area Rapist, a masked psychological sadist assaulted 50 women in Northern California between 1976 and 1979. He progressed from burglaries to vicious sexual assaults in the middle of the night to bludgeoning his victims to death. Along the way, he called 911 to taunt the police. Suddenly it seemed he had disappeared. But he had moved to a new hunting ground in Southern California, where he murdered 13 people and became known as the Original Night Stalker. And then i...2022-04-2554 min

True Crime ReporterDeath Row Interview With The Mass Killer Known As The “Terminator”Doug Feldman’s resume gave no clue that a mass killer was lurking inside him. He graduated from a prestigious university, was a financial wizard, and was the funniest man in the room at social functions. Everything appeared to be going his way. But beneath Feldman's calm exterior, a volcano was swelling inside him. First, there were tremors. Then, a deadly eruption against random strangers. Security Camera Footage of Mass Killer Doug Feldman Riding A Harley As He Randomly Guns Down A Gasoline Tank Truck Driver Crime Scene Where A Tank Truck Driver Was Randomly Murdered by Mass Killer Doug Fe...2022-04-1818 min

True Crime ReporterThe High School Gang That Graduated To Cold-Blooded MurderGun-wielding gang members from Houston burst into a rural bank located a hundred miles north of Houston. The high school-age teenagers graduated from burglaries and drive-by shootings to cold-blooded murders that day. They left behind the bullet-riddled body of an 82-year-old woman who was tending her family’s graves. They robbed a bank and shot up the small town while making their getaway. They pistol-whipped a deputy sheriff and used his gun to shoot a Texas State Trooper. Investigative reporter Robert Riggs covered the murder, and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston sent them to prison. They are back with ano...2022-04-1528 min

True Crime ReporterA Sniper In The Tower–The First School Shooting–Why Did He Do It?Before Columbine. Before Sandy Hook. Before Virginia Tech. There was the Sniper in the Tower at the University of Texas. America’s first mass murder and school shooting unfolded on live television in Austin, Texas, more than a half-century ago. Since then, the question has lingered, “Why did he do it?” Gary Lavergne, the author of A Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders, addresses the whys and the myths about the why. In this True Crime Reporter™, Confidential investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former U.S. prosecutor Bill Johnston take listeners back to 1966 when a student cut down fifty peo...2022-03-2953 min

True Crime ReporterCBS News Anchor Bob Schieffer Shocked By Broomstick Killer’s BrutalityKenneth McDuff "The Broomstick Killer" Retired CBS News Anchor Bob Schieffer was the first reporter to interview Kenneth McDuff and cover his crimes in 1966. Fort Worth Star-Telegram police beat reporter Bob Schieffer; appeared in "The Anatomy of a Newspaper" article dated 01/12/1964 Back then, Schieffer was the police beat reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Bob Schieffer in combat helmet while reporting from Vietnam, spring 1966 Schieffer had just returned from a combat assignment covering the Vietnam War when the call came in from homicide detectives. The bullet-riddled bodies of 17-year-old Robert Brand and his cousin, 16-year-old Mark D...2022-03-2130 min

True Crime ReporterOne Riot, One Ranger Fuels 200-Year Old LegendTexas kicked off festivities on Texas Independence Day, to commemorate the 2023 Bicentennial of the Texas Rangers. As the Rangers approach their 200th year of service, their legend is embodied in the following quote. When Texas Ranger Captain Bill McDonald was sent to Dallas in the 1890s to prevent a scheduled prizefight, McDonald was greeted at the train station by the city's anxious mayor, who asked: "Where are the others?" McDonald supposedly replied, "Hell! ain't I enough? There's only one prize-fight!" (credit: Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum). The Texas Rangers are the oldest serving state law enforcement agency in...2022-03-0838 min

True Crime ReporterHistory of the Texas RangersThe Bonnie and Clyde gang rode roughshod over the Central United States during the Depression in the 1930s until Texas Ranger Frank Hamer came out of retirement and ended their deadly robbery spree in an ambush. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker aka Bonnie and Clyde It’s one of many cases that contributes to the worldwide reputation of the Texas Rangers. In order to get a concise and accurate account of its history, Riggs went to the Official Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum In Waco, Texas The museum attracts 100-thousand people a...2022-03-0143 min

True Crime ReporterA Woman’s Head Is Found Floating In A Lake…Who Did It?When a woman’s head bobbed to the surface on Lake Waco in Central Texas, no one had the slightest clue about who she was or how she died. An autopsy revealed that she had been decapitated, and there was no sign of the rest of her body in the lake. As veteran Texas Ranger John Aycock began to learn more about the woman’s life (profilers call it victimology), he declared the likely identity of the murder suspect. Now, he just had to prove it. They call it a “Rangers Intuition” developed from years of investigating homicides in rural Texas an...2022-01-1823 min

True Crime ReporterSurrounded By Psychopaths With Author Thomas EriksonAfter listening to our episodes about serial killer Kenneth McDuff, you have no doubt that McDuff is what FBI profiler Roy Hazelwood described as a textbook psychopath. But it’s not only criminals that are psychopaths. CEOs of major corporations, politicians, and entertainers score high on the checklist of psychopathic behavior. Think about your work colleagues or social circle. Is your boss a narcissistic manipulator with no remorse? Do you know someone who takes pleasure in hurting others and easily lies? Thomas Erikson reveals how psychopaths surround us. They may not physically threaten our lives, but they can emotionally destroy them...2022-01-031h 01

True Crime ReporterBest of True Crime Reporter® 2021 – Serial Killer Kenneth McDuffIn this “Best Of True Crime Reporter®”, we take you back to the first episode in our series about serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff. It was a Webby Award Honoree for Best True Crime Podcast in 2021. McDuff is the only criminal in Texas history to have received three death sentences. Serial Killer Kenneth Allen McDuff is being escorted to a holding cell in the Texas Death Chamber. McDuff was believed to be the only condemned inmate in the nation ever paroled and then returned to death row for two more murders. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair in 19...2021-12-2727 min

True Crime ReporterThe Devil Lovers- The Satanic Cult of Murder & MethWhat is it about Waco, Texas? A whirlwind of bizarre events and violence seems to dump all sorts of strange creatures into Central Texas. Whether it is serial killers on the hunt for victims or the Branch Davidian Cult ending in a fiery inferno, it spins out true crime stories that are stranger than fiction. Investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston have been deeply involved in all of them. In the previous episode called Murder, Mayhem, and Meth, they talked about violent meth kingpins who controlled the manufacture and distribution of “speed” during the 1980s in Texas...2021-12-2038 min

True Crime ReporterMurder, Mayhem, & Meth — Breaking Bad In TexasIf you were a Breaking Bad TV series fan, get ready to listen to the actual 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 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. But these “Walter White” meth kingpins typically became addicted to their own chemical product and turned super paranoid. Investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal...2021-12-1639 min

True Crime ReporterThe Day The Last Texas Ranger DiedTexas Ranger Stan Guffey 1946 - 1987 Courtesy Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, Waco, Texas 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. Thirteen-year-old Amy McNiel the daughter of the pioneer in the development of the first hand-held calculator, was kidnapped by five men on the way to school in January 1985 Retired Ranger Captain Bob Prince recalled the tension-filled 48-hour, 600-mile game of cat and mouse and a 100 mph running gu...2021-12-0634 min

True Crime ReporterTexas Rangers Brave Bullets and Flames To Rescue 13-Year Old Girl From KidnappersThe Texas Rangers constitute the oldest state law enforcement organization in North America, dating to 1823. You can read more about the Texas Rangers' history and influence on popular culture on our blog at the True Crime Reporter®website. L to R Bill Johnston, Ret'd Ranger Captain Bob Prince, Robert Riggs True Crime Reporter™ Podcast Robert and Bill interview retired Ranger Captain Bob Prince, a legendary modern-day Texas Ranger, about his most memorable case. Our story begins with the rescue of 13-year-old Amy McNiel of Alvarado, Texas, from five kidnappers in mid-January of 1985. It captures the frontier spirit and courage of the...2021-11-3042 min

True Crime ReporterThe Mind Of A Murder – 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. Robert Riggs and Bill Johnston contacted forensic psychiatrist Dr. Richard Taylor in the United Kingdom to gain perspective and understanding of such a crime. Dr. Taylor is the author of The Mind of a Murderer. He has worked on more than 100 murder cases. He explores the subject of Women Who Kill Children in his book. Dr. Taylor also works wi...2021-11-2358 min

True Crime ReporterInside A Cold Case Unit Solving A 46-Year Old Murder46 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 in 1974. 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. Walker’s lifeless body was later found dumped in a culvert. Fort Worth Police detectives Jeff Bennett and Leah Wagner w...2021-11-021h 04

True Crime ReporterDon’t Fence Me In — No Texas Prison Could Hold Dennis Wayne HopeDennis Wayne Hope 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 Texas that could hold him. The convicted armed robber even imitated the prisoner played by Paul Newman in Hollywood’s Cool Hank Luke. Hope purchased a Jaguar for his girlfriend with money stolen during robberies in Dallas, Texas. While on the run, Hope sent imprisoned convicts letters about life on the outside. Hope impersonated armored car guards with fake ID car...2021-10-1547 min

SWAT BrothersPolice Chief Doug Kowalski: From NYC PD to Dallas SWATChief Doug Kowalski of Prosper, Texas moved to Texas from the NYPD in 1977. He worked his way up the ranks to serve as a Deputy Chief of the Dallas Police Department. Kowalski later served as the Chief of Police of McKinney, Texas. It was there that he was instrumental in planning and designing a new Public Safety Headquarters. The building withstood a critical challenge when a lone gunman attacked the facility in 2010. He set his truck and trailer on fire. Then he proceeded to pump more than 163 rounds of .223 ammunition from his semi-automatic rifle into the headquarters.2021-08-181h 09

SWAT BrothersBG Ret’d Rebeca Halstead - The First Person You Must Lead Is You Part 1Retired Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead was the first woman graduate in West Point history promoted to the rank of general in the U.S. Army. Halstead entered West Point in 1977 and was the second graduating class to include women.Halstead’s book The First Person You Must Lead Is You details leadership principles derived from her 27-years of military service that are applicable to civilian organizations.Her combat experience included leading logistical support for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.In this episode of SWAT Brothers, General Halstead discusses her five simple leadership truths ta...2021-08-1153 min

SWAT BrothersVictor Avila: Agent Under Fire Part 2Former ICE Special Agent Victor Avila shared the deadly story of how he and his partner, Jaime Zapata, were ambushed by the Los Zetas Crime Cartel in Mexico.It is a harrowing story of courage and survival in the face of betrayal by the officials who sent him on an ill prepared dangerous mission. Zapata was murdered in the line of duty and Avila suffered life threatening bullet wounds. Zapata explained how the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the murder convictions of Zapata’s killers because it happened outside of the U.S. ...2021-08-0433 min

SWAT BrothersVictor Avila - Agent Under Fire - Part 1The Los Zetas drug cartel ambushed two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on a dangerous stretch of highway in 2011.Special Agent Victor Avila was severely wounded. His partner, Jaime Zapata, was killed.In the aftermath of the tragedy, an investigation by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel confirmed Avila’s allegations that ICE officials had failed to properly train and support the agents for such dangerous missions.The agents had been dispatched from Mexico City to Monterrey to pick up supplies.Warnings had been issued by the U.S. Em...2021-07-281h 02

SWAT BrothersJeff Etessam - How To Use Pistol Mounted Red Dot SightsRed dot sights on handguns are designed to improve accuracy. Slide mounted red dots can help a home defender shot the target quickly and effectively in a high-stress situation.Elite special ops units in the U.S. military commonly use red dot sights on their pistols.For shooters accustomed to Iron Sights, Red Dots take some getting adjusted to use.Jeff Etessam, a retired Duncanville, Texas SWAT officer and owner of Realistic Defense, teaches how to use the Red D...2021-07-2247 min

SWAT BrothersJeff Etessam Retired SWAT and Firearms Instructor Teaches Train To SurviveJeff Etessam, a retired member of the Duncanville, Texas Police Department’s SWAT Team, discusses the importance of training.Etessam spent ten years on midnight patrol. Then he became the training coordinator for twenty-two years. Duncanville SWAT, like most departments, was a part-time team. Patrol carried their gear with them and would come together as a team when called out.The sad fact is that most departments do not devote enough time and money to training.Etessam believes that the mindset of officers has changed from believing that law enforcement is a career to...2021-07-1556 min

SWAT BrothersOn The Job In The Bronx With Ret’d NYPD Detective And Crime Novelist Travis MyersBack in the late 1970s flames engulfed the South Bronx. The borough symbolized that New York City was a crime-ridden decaying urban war zone.1976 saw the largest spike in reported felonies on record.The city was on the verge of bankruptcy.When then-Mayor Abe Beam asked Washington for a federal bailout, then-President Gerald Ford declared flatly to veto any legislation. The New York Daily News interpreted the President's message as, “Drop Dead.”In 1977 during game 2 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angel...2021-07-081h 12

SWAT BrothersTodd Bensman Author of America’s Covert Border WarTodd Bensman says the mass migration crisis on the southern border has overwhelmed the U.S. border patrol to the point where terrorists may be able to slip through. In Texas, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) state troopers work the banks of the Rio Grande as illegal immigrants flood across.Operation Lone Star is attacking both human smuggling and narcotics trafficking on air, land, and water.In SWAT Brothers’ previous episode, Jaeson Jones, a former member of DPS Homeland Security intelligence, took our listeners to the front lines of a war.J...2021-06-301h 11

SWAT BrothersMexican Cartels Monopolize Human Smuggling To Make Millions Of Dollars Off Southern Border Crisis Ex Intel Agent Describes Wave Of Human SufferingJaeson Jones leads a one-man crusade to get the federal government to designate the Mexican Cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. He is laser-focused on the Cartel’s human trafficking business. Jones’ campaign has already prompted Texas Governor Greg Abbot to officially ask the Biden Administration to designate the Mexican Cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.Jones is a retired Captain from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division. He managed the daily operations of the Texas Rangers, Border Security Operations Center (BSOC). He supervised Human Intelligence (HUMINT) operations in severa...2021-06-241h 16

SWAT BrothersThe Dickey Foundation Answers The Call To Provide Safety Gear To First RespondersAfter a gunman killed five police officers and wounded eleven others during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas in 2016, Maurine Dickey was upset that officers were not wearing armored vests.Ms. Dickey, a former Dallas County Commissioner, and North Texas community leader established The Dickey Foundation to provide support for local first responders.The nonprofit foundation receives support from Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, the nation’s largest barbeque chain.The foundation provides safety equipment to first responders with their “Invest In A Vest Program” and financial assistance to fire departments to purchase...2021-06-1651 min

SWAT BrothersDallas Police Officers Ordered Not To Wear Armored Vests Were First MassacredIn the previous two episodes of SWAT Brothers, we chronicled the deadly events of the mass murders of five Dallas officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in July of 2016.The first three officers who were ambushed and killed had been ordered to leave their armored vest in the trunks of their patrol cars.Then police chief David Brown reportedly turned down the officer’s request to wear an armored vest because city leaders were apparently sensitive to criticism that police departments were militarized.The gunman who had been kicked out of the Ar...2021-06-0944 min

SWAT BrothersThe Inside Story Of The Mass Murder of 5 Police Officers in DallasThis is the second episode in our exclusive series about the mass murder of five police officers in Dallas on July 7, 2016.It was the deadliest day for law enforcement since 9-11.That’s when a heavily armed gunman who was a dishonorable Army veteran took advantage of a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest to in effect assassinate five police officers and wounded 11 others. Our previous episode featured the Dallas SWAT negotiator who talked to the gunman for four hours before a robot armed with a bomb was sent in to blow him up.2021-06-021h 05

SWAT BrothersHow A Robotic Bomb Took Out The Mass Killer Of Dallas Police OfficersThe ambush of Dallas police officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in July of 2016 marked the deadliest and bloodiest day for American law enforcement since 9/11.BLM protesters had peacefully gathered in downtown Dallas and other cities across the nation in response to the police shootings of two black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.A few blocks from the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an African American man who had been discharged from the U.S. Army for disgraceful conduct got out of his SUV ready for combat....2021-05-261h 36

SWAT BrothersFirearms Safety Rules For First Time Gun Buyers And Gun OwnersSWAT Brothers and OwenRiggs Firearms Training has produced a video in conjunction with this episode. It can be viewed by clicking here on YouTube. Retired Lt. Robert Owens, a 40-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, discusses gun safety rules with investigative reporter Robert Riggs. In 2020, record numbers of people purchased their first-ever firearm. … Continue reading SWAT Brothers Talk Firearms Safety Rules For First Time Gun Buyers And Gun Owners → Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com 2020-12-2159 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" Mysterious Secrets About Serial Killer Kenneth McDuffThe scandalous release of serial killer Kenneth McDuff and corruption inside the parole system triggered the passage of numerous legislative reforms dubbed “The McDuff Law.” But mysteries remain. How many violent inmates bought their way out of prison and were free to kill again? How many women did McDuff abduct and murder? McDuff always liked to have an accomplice to witness his evil acts. Did other accomplices get away with murder? Investigators sit down with investigative reporter Robert Riggs to discuss their theories. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-S...2020-12-2128 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" Serial Killer Kenneth McDuff Is A Dead Man WalkingInvestigative reporter Robert Riggs traced serial killer Kenneth McDuff’s footsteps from Texas’ Death Row to its Death Chamber at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. The day before McDuff's execution, the prison system gave Riggs and his camera crew access to the Texas death chamber. Riggs fills in precise details about how the lethal injection was administered down to McDuff’s last words. It's a step-by-step account that most people have never heard before. McDuff’s body went unclaimed by family members, and his home community protested any attempt to bury him there. Riggs follows McDuff’s pine box coffin to it...2020-12-1427 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" A Serial Killer Is The Only Man In Texas To Receive 3 Death SentencesKenneth McDuff’s first death sentence for the broomstick murders was commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972. Now, McDuff faces two more capital murder charges. Prosecutors want to make sure that McDuff keeps his date with the executioner. After being sentenced to die by lethal injection, Riggs asked McDuff, "What now, Kenneth?" McDuff looked Riggs in the eye and smugly said, “I guess I’m going to die. We all have to sometimes. You know.” FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-ST...2020-11-2320 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" How A Serial Killer's Prison Pals Received Get Out Of Jail Free CardsJames Granberry Pleads the 5th In Senate Hearing Texas inmates and their families started receiving business cards and letters from the ex-parole board chairman, promising early release for a price. Former parole board chairman James Granberry, who played the key role in setting serial killer Kenneth McDuff free, set up a business as a parole consultant. He solicited money from inmate's families to get his old cronies on the parole board to release his clients from prison early. In Episode 10, Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs exposes the secret underworld of parole consultants and the release of Kenneth McDuff’s prison pal. FOL...2020-11-1615 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" Dirty Little Secrets About The Parole Of Texas Worst Serial KillerKenneth McDuff’s confidential prison and parole records contained plenty of warning signs that he was a psychopathic killer who should never be released. Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs obtains McDuff’s records. Riggs exposes the lies the Texas Parole Board Chairman has been telling about his role in freeing McDuff. Along the way, Riggs discovers a secret process that released a hate crime killer in exchange for giving the parole board chairman a new car for himself and his mistress at the parole board. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FI...2020-11-0916 min

Justice Facts PodcastBail Bond Reforms Release Capital Murder Defendants In Dallas“Those who forget the past are condemned to relive it.” That quote by Winston Churchill goes to the heart of today’s discussion in this episode of Justice Facts–Current Events In True Crime. Today, politicians cannot remember the past or are just disregarding what investigative reporter Robert Riggs and former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston exposed in … Continue reading Bail Bond Reforms Release Capital Murder Defendants In Dallas →2020-11-0433 min

True Crime Reporter"Free To Kill" My Little Gangster Spills The Beans About A $25K BribeInvestigative Reporter Robert Riggs was investigating how serial killer Kenneth McDuff and dozens of other former death row inmates in Texas got out of prison when Riggs crossed paths with U.S. Marshals. The Marshal's nationwide manhunt captured McDuff working on a garbage truck in Kansas City. But the question remained. Who in their right mind on the Texas parole board would let this diabolical killer walk out of prison? McDuff's abduction and murder spree started shortly after he returned to Waco, Texas in 1989. Deputy Marshall Parnell McNamara had compared McDuff to "Jack The Ripper." After McNamara locked McDuff in a...2020-11-0226 min

Justice Facts PodcastIntroduction to Justice Facts Dissecting The Most Notorious Criminal Cases Making News TodayPeabody Award-Winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs and decorated former federal prosecutor Bill Johnston dissect the most notorious criminal cases making news today. For over four decades, the duo has been up close and personal with serial killers, mass murderers, sexual predators, and terrorists. You name it, and they’ve seen it from the crime scene to … Continue reading Introduction to Justice Facts Dissecting The Most Notorious Criminal Cases Making News Today →2020-10-0201 min