In December 1993, a young man named Brandon Teena was trying to build a life in rural Nebraska—one built on truth, freedom, and finally being seen for who he was. Instead, he walked straight into a storm of transphobia, violence, and a criminal justice system that treated him like a joke rather than a victim. Days after reporting a brutal assault, Brandon, along with Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine, was murdered in a farmhouse outside Humboldt.

In this deeply personal episode, Mel revisits Brandon’s life, the failures that led to his death, and the courtroom battles that followed. She also reflects on her own journey—coming out in homophobic Texas at seventeen, traveling to Nebraska to stand vigil at the trials, and recognizing the same chilling patterns in the recent death of Sam Nordquist.

This isn’t just a story about the past. It’s a warning that echoes forward.

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Rebecca and Mel had a lot to talk about today that weighs heavy on the heart, but luckily they also know how to take a hard left at a tangent and keep the laughter shining a light. This shit is tough to talk about. Thanks for being with us.

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If you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en...

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Mega Something's Off episode with a few menopause breaks. 

Mel and Rebecca are talkers...what can we say. 🤷🏻‍♀️  In this episode the hosts--who like to interrupt one another often--breakdown historic cases like OJ Simpson, Pamela Smart, and Matthew Shepard, while getting into the nuances of why the defense chose NOT to put on a case in the Brian Walsh Trial. We'll be on verdict watch starting (probably) tomorrow, but in the meantime, something's off...especially with all those Lowes and Home Depot buckets. WHERE ARE THE BUCKETS??

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If you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en/newticket 

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In October 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar, beaten, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, and left alone in the freezing dark for eighteen hours. His murder shocked the nation, ignited a global outcry, and reshaped the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in America. But behind the headlines and the legislation that now carries his name was a real kid — small, gentle, hopeful — who trusted the wrong people on an ordinary Tuesday night.

In this episode of The In Between, Mel Barrett reconstructs the final hours of Matthew Shepard’s life . She walks listeners through the investigation, the trials, the brutal arrival of Westboro Baptist Church, the angel-wing counterprotest that became legend, and the sweeping cultural and legal aftershocks that followed. And she asks the question many of us are wrestling with today: how did a nation that fought so urgently for justice in Matthew’s name find itself, decades later, drifting backward?

This is not just the story of a murder.

It’s the story of a movement, a mother’s resolve, a community’s grief, and a warning from history about what happens when we let the tide turn.

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Mel + Rebecca take a train to tangent city PLUS the new Turtleboy hearing v. Cosgrove where Cosgrove argues for emails verses hard copies, days 4+5 of the Brian Walshe Trial--including testimony from Ana Walshe's DC boyfriend, William Fastow...and vampire facials?

Thank you!!!

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Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.

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Drama, drama, drama. 

Mel + Rebecca try to parse the latest Turtleboy drama, while the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is back on their bullshit with the Kelsey Fitzsimmons case, and Mel takes you on a journey through the bonkers first three days of the Brian Walshe Murder Trial.

If you like us, tip us. http://www.venmo.com/melbarrettwrites 

Thank you!!!

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It's been a long road, but we're finally here. Pamela Smart's attorneys are filing a petition of Habeus Corpus asking for a new trial or at the very least resentencing and they've given me access to the petition. I've been investigating Pam's case for going on a decade and some of the work I did on the first season of The In Between Podcast became the basis for this Habeus. I'm always so proud of the work I do on The In Between Podcast, but this case has been my white whale and I'm so honored to be apart of these arguments.

I want to share what I can with you, so without further adieu, here are the five points Pam's case will hinge on.

PLEASE PLEASE share her story.

TO LISTEN TO SEASON ONE, start here.

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It’s been more than thirty years since Pamela Smart, a 22-year-old media coordinator from Derry, New Hampshire, was convicted of plotting her husband’s murder. But the story isn’t over. In fact, it’s entering a new chapter.

Pamela’s legal team, led by attorney Matthew Zernhelt, has just filed a new habeas corpus petition — and some of the evidence behind it came directly from Mel's own investigation. Among the claims:

Inaccurate transcripts given to the jury — words allegedly spoken by Pam that were never actually audible on tape.

A defense attorney’s unauthorized admission of guilt, undermining her right to a fair defense.

Jurors influenced by the media, not the evidence.

Faulty jury instructions that failed to define deliberation and premeditation.

Over the next few weeks, Mel will be breaking down these developments, including new expert findings from Marion Davidson and a Loyola University study confirming major transcript errors that went unnoticed for decades.

If you're a listening learner, you'll hopefully get a lot out of listening to Mel read you the new Karen Read complaint.

If you want to read along, here's the court filing: https://www.scribd.com/document/951000000/Karen-Read-Lawsuit#from_embed

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Thanks for listening. If you like Mel's work, please let her know, by tipping. 

In PART TWO of this mega episode--which was too big to upload, so I'm releasing it in parts--Mel + Rebecca break down Brian Walshe pre-trial updates, Karen Read's civil suit against Proctor, Bukhenik, Tully and the McAlberts, Corri Hopkins gets the sidebahs, Deitch is running for Morrissey’s job, Gaitani helps out Turtleboy, and Depetro reaches out to Rebecca.

TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips 

You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. 

Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.

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SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC

Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Watch the Brian Walshe hearing on  @Boston25News  : https://www.youtube.com/live/z26hqsgcXVY?si=JqawYIbzwdQSQ9ZY

If you want to listen to the whole complaint, tune in on Friday, November 21, 2025 to The In Between Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts) to listen to Mel read it to you.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-in-between-podcast-with-mel-barrett/id1785257330