The disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard just took a shocking turn. The FBI and Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office have raided her home, a storage unit, and the rental car her mother drove cross-country — and investigators now say Melodee was seen alive two days later than anyone thought, hundreds of miles away on the Utah-Colorado border. Where did she go next? And why were the car’s license plates switched from California to New York and back again?

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, three shocking true crime updates broke all at once — and we’re unpacking them all. A father found dead the day he was set to turn himself in for his daughter’s death. Another father sentenced for murdering his missing baby son. And a college student accused of hiding her newborn’s body just hit with new court orders. I’m Lauren Matthias, and this is Hidden True Crime — where we uncover the motives behind the most unimaginable acts.

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠

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A father. A missing teen. A 67-year-old accused predator. In seconds, everything changed. Aaron Spencer says he acted to save his daughter; prosecutors call it murder. Today we unpack the timeline, the 911 call, the charges, Arkansas self-defense law—and the national debate: protection or vigilante justice?

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About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠

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*This episode was recorded live* After four long years of heartbreak and unanswered questions, there’s finally a major development in the case of missing 5-year-old Michael “Monkey” Vaughan. One of the key suspects—someone John and I have both interviewed—has now been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and destruction of evidence. In this episode, we break down the shocking new warrant for Stacey Wondra, what this means for Michael’s family, and why prosecutors say justice is finally closing in—even as the desperate search for Monkey continues.

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠

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Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard vanished after a cross-country trip with her mother—then Mom came home alone and stopped cooperating. Surveillance shows Melodee in a hood and what appears to be a wig; a rental car logged hundreds of miles; the FBI is now involved. In this episode, we trace the paper trail, the digital breadcrumbs, and the chilling 72-hour ultimatum to “produce Melodee or face arrest,” and ask the only question that matters: where is Melodee?

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠

You can go to my sponsor https://aura.com/hiddentruecrime to try 14 days for free. That’s enough time for Aura to start scrubbing your personal info off these data broker sites, without you lifting a finger. 

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On October 15th, Lauren did a 9 hour live going through the most painful details of their families lives in the last several months. Now, John is here to follow up on the psychology of smear campaigns, mob mentalities, cyber stalking and physical stalking.

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠

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On October 15th, Lauren did a 9 hour live going through the most painful details of their families lives in the last several months. Now, John is here to follow up on the psychology of smear campaigns, mob mentalities, cyber stalking and physical stalking.

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠

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In a surprising twist, Jake Haro plead guilty to the murder of his 7-month-old son Emmanuel and Lauren is here to break down all of the latest details.

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About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Lori Vallow-Daybell has finished her 3rd, and final, trial and is back in Idaho, her only surviving son, Colby Ryan sits down with Lauren and Dr. John to talk about what really comes after justice.

NOTE: This is a live recorded episoe

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About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A small New Jersey town is reeling after two high school seniors were struck and killed by a speeding SUV — but prosecutors say it wasn’t an accident. What began as teenage drama has exploded into a case of obsession, stalking, and revenge. From gaming livestreams and disturbing messages to claims of police favoritism, this episode uncovers how months of warning signs led to a tragedy no one stopped.

About Hidden True Crime

What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling.

Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices