Christina Duran is a licensed private investigator who specializes in tracking down missing and exploited children. We talk about her passion for investigations and go in-depth with her very first case as a licensed PI that went to court. I was fascinated by her work in the Dominican Republic on Human Trafficking cases.

My guest today is Frank Zafiro Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1986-91 in Military Intelligence as a Czechoslovak linguist. In 1993, he became a police officer in Spokane, Washington. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer, corporal, and detective before entered into leadership roles, becoming a sergeant in 2002. He was fortunate enough to command patrol officers, investigators, K-9 officers (and their dogs!), and the SWAT team. Frank retired from law enforcement in 2013 as a captain in order to write full time and to teach. From 2013-17, he taught law enforcement subject matter at the community college and university, and leadership as a national instructor for a prominent police institution. He also occasionally teaches a series of writing workshops. Frank earned a BA in History from Eastern Washington University in 1998, and an MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville in 2012. Frank began writing seriously at about thirteen. In 1995, he started a draft of Under A Raging Moon, which would become the first book in the River City series of crime fiction. Since then, Frank has completed multiple novels set in River City, a fictional version of Spokane, Washington, such as the Stefan Kopriva mystery series. Frank has held the Amazon #1 author spot for police procedurals. I am happy to welcome Frank Zafiro to the show.

Matt is a 1996 graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a BS Criminal Justice. Since 2005, he is the president of Satellite Investigations specializing in Personal Injury investigations and Security Risk management.

Their Personal Injury division focuses on Plaintiff Investigations to assist attorneys in gathering information on their claims and making assessments on how to proceed depending on liability. Their Risk Management division focuses on professional services assistance for Risk Management teams both in the corporate and private industry.

He developed www.investigators-toolbox.com, an online resource community for Private Investigators throughout the United States.

He is the owner of Pi-Perspectives, a weekly podcast show available on all podcast platforms and on Youtube. He has written a chapter in the textbook: The Art of Investigation by CRC Press and is a regular columnist for PI Magazine.

My guest today is the investigative Journalist Nancy Rommelmann To the Bridge, a True Story of Motherhood and Murder - July 2018The case was closed, but for journalist Nancy Rommelmann, the mystery remained: What made a mother want to murder her own children? On May 23, 2009, Amanda Stott-Smith drove to the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, and dropped her two children into the Willamette River. Forty minutes later, rescuers found the body of four-year-old Eldon. His seven-year-old sister, Trinity, was saved. As the public cried out for blood, Amanda was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to thirty-five years in prison. Embarking on a seven-year quest for the truth, Rommelmann traced the roots of Amanda’s fury and desperation via thousands of pages of records, meetings with lawyers and convicts, and interviews with friends and family who felt shocked, confused, and emotionally swindled by a woman whose life was now defined by an unspeakable crime. At the heart of that crime: a tempestuous marriage, a family on the fast track to self-destruction, and a myriad of secrets and lies as dark and turbulent as the Willamette River. We also discuss Sacrificing Rebecca: Laurie Recht loved her 14-year-old daughter to death. Literally. (Willamette Week)” and to top it off, guess who was the last journalist to interview John Wayne Gacy?

New Hope Investigations was founded at the start of 2016 by Rachele’ Davis, a former crime analyst for her local police department. After seven years in local government and seven years prior to that as a teacher, Rachele’ found herself drawn to the private sector of investigations and the challenge of building her own business. Her master's degree in criminal justice, resourcefulness, productivity level, and innovation have already served her well in this capacity. Rachele’ obtained her private investigator licenses through both Missouri and Kansas in 2016. In Adoption related investigations Rachele' also provides some general investigative services on a case-by-case basis. She works in various capacities for individuals, attorneys, and businesses. Rachele' regularly stays up-to-date with current trends and changes in the industry. She pours over the ever-changing social media and open-source (OSINT) environments and stays informed of their continual evolvement. To enhance her adoption investigations, Rachele’ continues to learn more and more about the complex and fascinating field of genealogy. She is a member of the American Adoption Congress, Association of Professional Genealogists, International Society of Genetic Genealogy, and National Genealogical Society.

My guest this week is August Norman. Originally from central Indiana, thriller and mystery author August Norman has called Los Angeles home for two decades, writing for and/or appearing in movies, television, stage productions, web series, and even commercial advertising. A lover and champion of crime fiction, August regularly attends the Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference and is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Sisters in Crime. COME AND GET ME, August’s debut thriller featuring investigative journalist Caitlin Bergman, was listed in Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2019 issue in the Debut category and SINS OF THE MOTHER, the second in the Caitlin Bergman series, will be released in September 2020 by Crooked Lane Books.

Kelly Riddle is the President of Kelmar Global Private Investigations, He has written 12 books, founded and sat on the boards of notable private investation associations and is a much sought-after speaker at conferences and seminars. He has an online school for private investigators and has grown his business from 5 investigators in 1989 to over 61 with staff support and a management structure. NAIS The National Association of Investigative Specialists named him on of the Top 25 PI's of the 20th Century. I count Kelly as a mentor and colleague striving to make our profession as professional as possible.

Mark Bergin graduated from Boston University with a degree in journalism, then worked four years as a newspaper reporter and photographer, winning the Virginia Press Association Award for general news reporting, before joining the Alexandria, Virginia, Police Department in 1986. Twice named Police Officer of the Year for narcotics and robbery investigations, he served in most of the posts described in APPREHENSION, his debut novel, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. Kirkus Reviews calls APPREHENSION “compelling,” and said Bergin is a “gritty and authentic new voice in police fiction" Bergin lives in Alexandria and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with his wife Ruth, an attorney and former public defender. They have two children. Write him at [email protected], Facebook friend him at Mark Bergin, writer or follow his blog at http://www.markberginwriter.com.

Michael Julian is the CEO/President of MPS Security & Protection, a division of National Business Investigations, Inc., founded in 1967 by his father Ron Julian.  The company provides corporate executive protection, threat and risk mitigation, and security. Michael is licensed in multiple states as a Private Investigator and Security Professional, is a graduate of the Executive Protection Institute and Executive Security International, and Board Director or member of several national and international industry associations.  His security training includes behavioral threat assessment, active shooter survival, executive and asset protection, self-defense, defensive and evasive driving, close protection, aviation security, protective surveillance and counter-surveillance, and covert protection. Besides Active Shooter, he frequently teaches training courses in Executive and Asset Protection. In 2014 Michael created the A.L.I.V.E. Active Shooter Survival Training Program and began teaching his Active Shooter Survival philosophy throughout the United States.  His book on the subject, 10 Minutes to Live: Using A.L.I.V.E. to Survive an Actives Shooter was published in 2017. In 2019, the long-awaited Online version of the ALIVE Training Program was launched and is now part of the corporate employee security training program for companies throughout the world. In mid-2019 the first ALIVE Instructor Certification Course was held at the ALIVE Corporate Headquarters in Southern California, creating several new, qualified instructors to present the program. Michael is now a keynote speaker at conferences, but still teaches the course to select businesses, public utility agencies, medical and educational institutions throughout the world.

By day, Andrew Welsh-Huggins is an editor and reporter for the Associated Press in Columbus, focusing on criminal justice topics. By earlier in the day, he is the author of six mysteries featuring Andy Hayes, a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned private eye. Of Andrew’s most recent book, Fatal Judgment, Publishers Weekly said, “Intriguing . . . Fans of Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone books will be pleased.” Andrew is also the editor of the Columbus Noir anthology, upcoming in March from Akashic Books. His 2009 nonfiction book, No Winners Here Tonight, is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio. His short mystery fiction has appeared in Kings River Life, Down And Out Magazine, Tough, Mystery Weekly Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. When he’s not writing or reporting, Andrew enjoys running, reading, spending time with family, and trying to recall why having a dog, three cats and two parakeets seemed like a good idea at the time.