Fellow officers long suspected a veteran detective in Antioch, Calif., was leaking operational police secrets to a drug dealer. For years, the department didn't act on their concerns. Even after the detective was finally fired in 2017, his record remained secret. In episode six of On Our Watch we look at the incentives departments have to investigate dishonest cops and what the secrecy around police misconduct means for criminal defendants who are prosecuted on their testimony.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brady Rule

When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino's sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

Documentary

True crime

After his son’s death, Valentino Rodriguez Sr. waited for the warden of New Folsom prison to call him. That call never came. In our season finale, we walk through the gates of New Folsom to ask the warden for answers. We also get a rare glimpse inside the world of correctional officer discipline and hear from Sgt. Kevin Steele in his own words. 

Mental health resources
If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
SAMHSA National Help Line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline
US Health and Human Services
Warmline Directory

Whistleblower resources
The Lamplighter Project
The Signals Network
EMPOWR
Whistleblowers of America
Government Accountability Project
National Whistleblower Center
Whistleblower Aid

Episode Transcript
Find more information at our website.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.  
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8. Last Stand | S2: New Folsom

We get to listen in on confidential interviews conducted by Sgt. Kevin Steele before his death. Plus, we finally get to see surveillance footage from inside the B8 unit that sheds new light on the murder of Luis Giovanny Aguilar.

Editor’s note: After this episode first aired on April 2, 2024, CDCR finally located Valentino Rodriguez’s supplemental report about the murder of Luis Giovanny Aguilar that we reference in this episode. Their public records team was initially unable to find it. However, the agency said the report was exempt from disclosure.

Resources
If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
SAMHSA National Help Line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline
US Health and Human Services
Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript
Find more information at our website.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.  
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. “We Don’t Do Coincidence” | S2: New Folsom

Hi listeners! Thanks for your patience as we’ve been sifting through new evidence and secret internal tapes that were recently leaked to us by a confidential source. Our next episode will be here in the feed on April 2!

UPDATE: Episode 7 will drop April 2!

The team digs deep into the homicide of Luis Giovanny Aguilar—the murder in the day room that Officer Valentino Rodriguez was tasked to write a report about, and that had consumed Sgt. Kevin Steele up until the last day of his life. We track down each of the men who took part in the stabbing to find out: did officers also play a role?

Resources
If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
SAMHSA National Help Line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline
US Health and Human Services
Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript
Find more information at our website.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.  
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. The Day Room | S2: New Folsom

Valentino Rodriguez Sr. is on the treadmill one morning when he gets a call—Sgt. Kevin Steele is dead. Val Sr. has lost not only his friend, but his partner in their shared quest to find the truth. A meeting with the FBI provides few answers, even as new questions arise about why a second whistleblower from New Folsom has lost his life.

Resources
If you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
SAMHSA National Help Line
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline
US Health and Human Services
Warmline Directory

Episode Transcript
Find more information at our website.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.  
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brady Rule

Download our free app to listen on your phone