Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

Two men. Two elite educations. Two alleged murder sprees months apart. Bryan Kohberger—criminology PhD, studied crime scene processing at the doctoral level—pled guilty to killing four Idaho students in November 2022. Michael McKee—vascular surgeon with more than a decade of surgical training—stands charged with murdering his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer in December 2025. The methods allegedly used in both cases reveal a chilling pattern.

Both men allegedly turned off or abandoned their phones during the murder window. Both allegedly surveilled their targets beforehand—Kohberger's phone pinged near the victims' house 23 times over four months; McKee allegedly spent hours on the Tepe property during a reconnaissance visit while the family was out of town. Both allegedly used vehicles that became key evidence despite countermeasures. And both allegedly believed their intelligence made them exceptions to the rule.

The indictment against McKee includes a six-year specification for using a firearm suppressor. A silencer. That's why no neighbors heard shots. That's why no one called 911 until Spencer didn't show up for work the next morning. If the allegations are true, this was equipment procurement for murder. Professional-grade planning for a deeply personal crime.

Kohberger left DNA on a knife sheath. McKee allegedly left a ballistics match through NIBIN. The smartest thing either could have done was the one thing obsession wouldn't allow: nothing. This episode breaks down the pattern of educated killers—what they get right, where they fail, and why intelligence becomes its own trap.

#HiddenKillers #BryanKohberger #MichaelMcKee #TepeFamily #IdahoMurders #EducatedKillers #Premeditation #CriminalPsychology #TrueCrimePodcast #DomesticViolence

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

John Carroll, Defense Counsel for Brendan Banfield, presented closing arguments today in the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Banfield, a former IRS agent, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the February 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at their Herndon, Virginia home.
Prosecutors allege Banfield plotted the killings with the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair. Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is expected to testify against Banfield. The defense maintains digital evidence does not support the state's catfishing theory.

#BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #Testimony #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #HiddenKillers #Breaking

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Jenna Sands, Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney for Fairfax County, presented closing arguments in the Brendan Banfield murder trial. Banfield, a former IRS agent, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the February 2023 deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan at their Herndon, Virginia home.
Prosecutors allege Banfield plotted the killings with the family's Brazilian au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, with whom he was having an affair. Magalhães has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is expected to testify against Banfield. The defense maintains digital evidence does not support the state's catfishing theory.

#BrendanBanfield #AuPairAffair #MurderTrial #TrueCrime #Testimony #ChristineBanfield #JosephRyan #FairfaxCounty #HiddenKillers #Breaking

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

The prosecution laid out their case. Now the defense has to tear it apart. Michael McKee pleaded not guilty to the aggravated murders of Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe. His attorneys are now preparing for the pretrial battles that could determine whether a jury ever hears the most damaging evidence against him.

Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis walks us through the defense's likely strategy. McKee waived his bail hearing—Eric explains why that's a calculated move, not a surrender. The real fight happens in motions.

The affidavit includes allegations that McKee strangled Monique and forced unwanted sex on her during the marriage—abuse that was never reported to police or prosecuted. Eric breaks down the motion to exclude that testimony as prejudicial and unproven, and whether it has a realistic chance of succeeding.

Then there's the hearsay problem. Witnesses say Monique told them McKee threatened to kill her, said he'd find her and buy the house next door, said she'd "always be his wife." But Monique is dead. The defense will argue those statements can't come in. Eric explains what exceptions might apply and how hard that fight will be.

We also examine how the defense might reframe the cell phone going dark—the prosecution calls it consciousness of guilt, but what's the innocent explanation? How do you explain surveillance footage showing your client at the property three weeks before the murders? And if the vehicle evidence seems overwhelming, can the defense separate McKee from the car?

If acquittal isn't on the table, what does a defense "win" look like?

#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DefensePlaybook #HearsayFight #ReasonableDoubt #CriminalDefense #HiddenKillers #MurderTrial #OhioMurder

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Brendan Banfield told the jury his story. Now they have to decide if they believe it. Day two of Banfield's testimony gave the court his full account of February 24th, 2023 — the moment he says he walked into his bedroom, saw a stranger holding his wife with a knife, announced himself as police, and fired. He testified Christine spoke to him after the attack despite being stabbed seven times in the neck. According to Banfield, she said: "I'm bleeding out. I'm sorry. I love you."

Prosecutor Jenna Sands went hard on cross-examination. She pressed him on the wound count — seven stabs, but Banfield claims he only witnessed one. She got him to admit he'd used a fetish-style site for a previous affair. She entered love letters Banfield wrote to au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães while she was incarcerated — fourteen pages discussing baby names and declaring his love. When asked if he professed "undying love" to Juliana, Banfield said: "Yes, it appears that I was, I was definitely in love with her."

The prosecution's rebuttal ended with Banfield's own IRS supervisor testifying that the "important meeting" Banfield described never existed. Closing arguments are tomorrow. Brendan Banfield faces life in prison if convicted.

#BrendanBanfield #ChristineBanfield #AuPairAffair #JulianaPeresMagalhães #BanfieldTestimony #DoubleMurder #TrueCrime #FairfaxCounty #HiddenKillers #ClosingArguments

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Michael McKee sits in Franklin County jail charged with the aggravated murders of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe. The unsealed affidavit lays out surveillance footage, witness statements about years of alleged death threats, stolen license plates, cell phone data showing his phone went dark during the murder window, and vehicle tracking placing his SUV in Columbus before and after the killings.

Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins us to break down the prosecution's case piece by piece. Which evidence is most damaging? What would he build the entire case around if he were lead prosecutor? And where could this seemingly airtight case still fall apart?

We examine the hearsay complications with statements Monique allegedly made to friends—that McKee said he could "kill her at any time," that he'd "find her and buy the house right next to her," and that "she will always be his wife." Monique can't testify. How do prosecutors get those statements in front of a jury?

The affidavit also includes allegations of prior strangulation and forced sex during the marriage—abuse that was never reported to police or prosecuted. Can that come in to establish pattern and motive, or will the defense succeed in keeping it out?

Eric explains what firearm specifications alleging a silencer signal about premeditation, why circumstantial evidence can actually be stronger than eyewitness testimony, and the one thing prosecutors should be worried about that they might not see coming.

#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #ColumbusOhioMurder #MurderEvidence #DefenseAttorney #TrueCrimePodcast #AggravatedMurder #HiddenKillers #OhioCrime

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

The Kouri Richins murder case just took a sharp turn nobody saw coming — and it's not about the defendant. It's about how the prosecution has allegedly been treating its own witnesses.

Defense attorneys filed a motion this week revealing text messages they say show lead detective Jeff O'Driscoll threatening a reluctant witness with arrest, jail, and a "catch pole for the dog" if she didn't comply with witness prep. A second witness with immunity was allegedly told by investigator Travis Hopper that their deal was conditional on continued cooperation — cooperation they say they already provided two years ago.

This is the same Detective O'Driscoll whose credibility was challenged in January suppression hearings after the defense claimed he testified falsely about knowing Richins had an attorney. An outside investigation found no evidence of untruthfulness, but the questions remain.

Meanwhile, the prosecution's key drug source — Robert Crozier — has recanted his statement that he sold fentanyl to Richins' housekeeper. He now claims it was OxyContin. Prosecutors argue the recantation doesn't hold up. The defense says it "throws a grenade" into the state's case.

Kouri Richins has pleaded not guilty and maintained her innocence since her May 2023 arrest. She's accused of fatally poisoning her husband Eric Richins with fentanyl in March 2022. Trial begins February 23rd.

When state witnesses start asking the defense for help, something has gone sideways.

#KouriRichins #HiddenKillers #WitnessIntimidation #EricRichins #UtahMurder #TrueCrimePodcast #FentanylMurder #DetectiveODriscoll #CriminalJustice #MurderTrial

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Two families. Two different kinds of catastrophic failure. One expert to help us understand both. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott — author of The Minds of Mass Killers — joins Hidden Killers for an extended examination of the psychology behind family annihilation and the systemic failures of America's addiction treatment industry.

The Paul Caneiro trial continues in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Prosecutors allege Paul murdered his brother Keith, sister-in-law Jennifer, and their children Jesse and Sophia after Keith discovered Paul had stolen $78,000 from a trust account. The violence was staggering — Sophia was stabbed 17 times and allegedly still alive when the fire started. Shavaun explains what drives someone to kill everyone they love rather than face accountability, what overkill reveals about psychological state, and how experts distinguish genuine grief from performance.

The Nick Reiner tragedy exposed the failures of addiction treatment. The Reiner family had resources most families can only dream of, and Rob and Michele Reiner are still dead. Shavaun examines the $42 billion industry where relapse is profitable, where insurance companies override clinical judgment, where outcome tracking doesn't exist. We identify who blocks reform and ask whether meaningful change is even possible. From the psychology of mass family killing to the financial incentives keeping broken systems in place — this is essential analysis of how institutions fail the people they're supposed to protect.

#ShavaunScott #PaulCaneiro #NickReiner #RobReiner #KeithCaneiro #FamilyAnnihilation #AddictionCrisis #ColtsNeck #TreatmentFailure #HiddenKillers

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

A judge just confirmed what victims' families feared most: under Idaho's current law, Bryan Kohberger could legally profit from telling his story. The same applies to Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell. The statute that's supposed to prevent this hasn't been updated since 1978 — and it shows.

This week, Idaho Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to modernize the state's Son of Sam law after the Moscow student murders and the Daybell cult killings put Idaho in the national spotlight. The bill unanimously advanced out of committee. But why did it take this long? And will it actually work?

The original Son of Sam laws were born in 1977 when serial killer David Berkowitz was offered a massive book deal within 24 hours of his arrest. New York passed legislation the very next day, and 42 states followed — including Idaho. But the Supreme Court gutted these laws in 1991, finding them too broad to survive First Amendment scrutiny. Most states never fixed the constitutional problems. Idaho was one of them.

Today, the true crime industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Podcasts, streaming documentaries, and social media monetization didn't exist when Idaho's law was written. The five-year escrow period means convicted killers can potentially receive media profits if victims' families don't file civil lawsuits in time. Meanwhile, Kohberger received over $28,000 in jail donations while families argued in court over who should pay for their daughters' urns.

We break down the full history, the Supreme Court decision that changed everything, and exactly what the new Idaho bill does — and doesn't — accomplish. For the families of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, Ethan, Tylee, JJ, and Tammy, this fight is far from over.

#SonOfSamLaw #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #LoriVallowDaybell #ChadDaybell #TrueCrimePodcast #VictimRights #MoscowIdaho #KayleeGoncalves #CriminalJustice

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

The 28-day treatment model has been the standard since the 1970s. Relapse rates have stayed roughly the same. The approach hasn't fundamentally evolved. In almost every other area of medicine, fifty years of data showing 40-90% failure rates would have triggered a complete overhaul. So why hasn't that happened with addiction treatment? In Part 2 of our examination following the Nick Reiner tragedy, psychotherapist Shavaun Scott follows the money.

A $42 billion industry where every relapse is another admission, another billing cycle. Facilities get paid whether treatment works or not. Insurance companies control treatment length through utilization review, overriding treating physicians and deciding when someone is "stable enough" for discharge regardless of clinical judgment. There's no standardized outcome tracking. No required reporting of success rates. Families can't comparison shop because the data doesn't exist.

Shavaun examines the regulatory gap — in many states, the barrier to opening a treatment facility is shockingly low, with minimal oversight and no consequences for poor outcomes. We identify who pushes back when reform is proposed: treatment industry lobbyists, insurance companies, pharmaceutical interests. The research showing what works exists. Longer treatment. Integrated mental health care. Medication-assisted treatment. So what's blocking evidence-based care from becoming the norm? Is meaningful reform possible, or is this system too protected to change?

#NickReiner #RobReiner #AddictionIndustry #RehabProfits #TreatmentReform #ShavaunScott #InsuranceCompanies #HealthcareCorruption #OpioidCrisis #HiddenKillers

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

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

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.