What happens when the justice system gets it wrong?

In this clip from Santana True Crime, I’m joined by author Steffen Hou as we discuss a chilling case where a person was executed — and later evidence suggested they were innocent.

How does that happen? And what does it say about the death penalty?

Steffen dives deeper into wrongful convictions and death row cases in his book The Deprived, which explores the stories of Americans sentenced to death despite claims of innocence.

📚 I’ll have a link to The Deprived in the description below.

Do you support the death penalty — or does the risk of executing an innocent person change your view?

👇 Let me know in the comments.

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As the Winter Olympics are happening right now, we revisit one of the darkest chapters in Olympic history — the 1996 Atlanta bombing and the years-long manhunt that followed.

In this episode of Santana True Crime, I’m joined by investigative journalist Gracey Sneed, who has interviewed investigators, family members, and neighbors connected to Eric Rudolph. Gracey recently published in-depth articles on the hunt and capture of Rudolph, including chilling details that were never widely known.

We discuss:

How Rudolph was identified using a wanted poster and a scar

His alleged plans to bomb a police station

The moment a local woman discovered him hiding beneath her mobile home

How his capture helped prevent further attacks

📅 Episode drops Tuesday, 2/10/26

🎙️ Santana True Crime

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In this episode, Cameron Santana is joined by author Steffen Hou to discuss his book Moms of the Missing, a powerful true-crime collection of real abduction and missing person cases told through the voices of families still searching for answers.

Steffen shares what he learned from interviewing mothers whose children vanished, the patterns seen across these cases, and why awareness and prevention still matter today. The book covers multiple abduction scenarios, including family abductions and long-term missing persons cases, with rare survivor stories included.

This conversation focuses on:

If you care about true crime, unsolved cases, and the human stories behind the headlines, this episode is for you.

📚 Moms of the Missing by Steffen Hou

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Tonight at 8:30 PM EST, join Cameron Santana and Dr. Brian Santana LIVE as we dive deep into the unsolved murder of Liz Barraza — a Texas woman who was gunned down while setting up for a garage sale in January 2019.

Liz was 29 years old when she was shot multiple times in her driveway in Tomball, Texas. Investigators believe the killing was planned, and surveillance footage captured a dark-colored Nissan Frontier believed to be linked to the shooter — but no arrests have ever been made.

Her family continues to seek justice, and Houston Crime Stoppers is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

🎙️ What we’ll cover LIVE:

📌 Want to help seek justice?

👉 Don’t forget to share the livestream, hit subscribe, and join the conversation in chat.

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Former Forensic Files producer Ed and co-host Melissa from the hit podcast Murder Unscripted join Cameron Santana and Dr. Brian Santana for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of true crime storytelling.

Ed shares behind-the-scenes insight into what it was like producing one of the most influential true crime television shows of all time, including how cases were selected and how forensic evidence shaped each episode. Together, the group discusses how lessons learned from Forensic Files carried over into their current work on Murder Unscripted.

The conversation also explores how true crime has shifted from carefully produced television documentaries to long-form podcasts and now to fast-moving social media coverage — and how that shift impacts investigations, public perception, and victims’ families.

This episode offers a rare look inside the world of true crime production and where the genre is headed next.

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In this exclusive interview, I sit down with documentary producer Steffen Hou, the creator behind Faces of Hate, a powerful and disturbing look into the world of extremism, radicalization, and hate-based ideology.

We discuss:
• What inspired the documentary
• How extremist groups recruit and operate
• The dangers of online radicalization
• The human cost behind hate movements
• The real people impacted by violent ideology

Faces of Hate pulls back the curtain on a hidden world most people never see. This conversation goes deeper than the documentary and explores the psychology, warning signs, and real-world consequences of extremist belief systems.

If you care about understanding how hate spreads — and how it can be stopped — this is a conversation you need to hear.

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In this special live episode of Santana True Crime, Cameron Santana is joined by Sam McDonald, the sister of missing man Matthew McDonald, who disappeared from Washington County, Pennsylvania in March 2023.

Matthew was last heard from on March 7, 2023 and last seen on March 9, 2023 in the California Borough / Long Branch area. Nearly two years later, his family is still searching for answers — and they believe someone out there knows what happened.

Sam shares who Matthew is beyond the headlines, the last known timeline of events, what the family has been told by investigators, and why the Howe Church and Long Branch area remain critical to the search.

If you have any information about Matthew’s disappearance, please contact California Borough Police Department.

Someone knows something. Help bring Matthew home.

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In this live episode of Santana True Crime, we take a deep look at the JonBenét Ramsey case through a media lens: how headlines, leaks, television coverage, and repeating narratives shaped public opinion and influenced which theories people believed.

I’m joined by Dr. David Hayes, who researched this exact topic in his doctoral dissertation, and Dr. Brian Santana, a college professor and true crime author. Together, we discuss how early framing can become the “official” story in the public’s mind—even when the evidence is complex, disputed, or evolving.

In this episode, we cover:

How early media framing took hold

Why certain theories became dominant

The role of leaks, repetition, and “trial by television”

How public opinion can drift away from evidence

What this case teaches us about true crime, bias, and narrative control

⚠️ Content Note: This episode discusses the murder of a child and sensitive subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.

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In this episode of Santana True Crime, we take a deep dive inside the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme — one of the most powerful and feared prison gangs in the United States.

My guest is William Noguera, who brings firsthand knowledge of the prison system and the realities of gang power behind the walls. Together, we discuss how the Mexican Mafia formed, how a relatively small group maintains control, and how influence inside prison often extends far beyond it.

This conversation focuses on reality, not Hollywood myths. We break down the structure, rules, violence, and fear that allow prison gangs like the Mexican Mafia to operate for decades — even in the face of law enforcement crackdowns.

We also discuss Will’s book, Through the Lens of a Monster, which provides an unfiltered look at violence, accountability, and survival inside the criminal justice system.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of violence, gangs, and prison life. Viewer discretion is advised.

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In this episode, we finally break down the Debra Espey murder case — a tragic cold case from 1973 in Niceville, Florida that went unsolved for more than 52 years until a DNA breakthrough cracked it open. Debra was a 19-year-old college student who disappeared after class and was later found murdered in a nearby wooded area. After decades of unanswered questions and faded leads, forensic genealogy and modern DNA testing helped investigators identify her killer and bring long-overdue justice for her family and community. Join us as we walk through the case from the disappearance to the DNA breakthrough, the investigation’s twists, and what this means for cold cases nationwide.

https://briansantanaauthor.com/

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