What happens when political corruption leads to a wrongful conviction? Unfortunately, that’s what unfolds in the podcast, Murder in Oregon, hosted and produced by today’s guest, Lauren Bright Pacheco. Lauren is an Emmy award winning TV Producer who has parlayed her storytelling skills to podcasting. It’s in this medium that she discovered “audio activism” which has illuminated something I’ve been seeking for quite some time!

What does your safety look like? Trauma and sex education expert, Jimanekia Eborn, asks this question and allows victims and survivors to answer it for themselves.

Today we are taking a more intimate, less legislative/legal look at consent. Jiamekia Eborn is the perfect person to help us do so.

Jimanekia, a self- entitled TRAUMA QUEEN, is no stranger to the world of trauma, crime and consent. Jimanekia shares how she wanted to help others impacted by trauma, but the way in which she ended up doing that was completely different from her original plan.

After surviving three sexual assaults, Joyce Short began researching penal law in the United States and what she found was terrifying. There is no way to guarantee equal protection under the law when here is no consistent definition for consent across the country.

This episode might be best enjoyed on a front porch with some sweet tea. I don’t live in the south, but my guest’s stories made me feel I was there; creaky doors closing to keep the mosquitos out, and humid air thick with mystery and secrets. I was transported as today’s guest told me stories of her life and career.

I met Sheryl McCollum at CrimeCon and knew she must come on the show and share about her work. She is currently a crime scene analyst, but got her start volunteering at a rape crisis center at Grady Hospital. But her love of mysteries and solving cold cases goes way back to childhood when her mama introduced her to criminal couple, Bonnie and Clyde.

You think you know Paul Holes, but do you really? And for the 14 of you wondering “Who is Paul Holes?” Welcome to the bright side.

Paul Holes is an American former cold-case investigator for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Holes is known for his contributions to solving the Golden State Killer case using advanced methods of identifying the killer with DNA and genealogy technology. He is also inspired the true crime/pop culture hashtag: #hotforHoles

For our final true crime book interview (this season), I spoke with Paul Holes about his new memoir, UNMASKED.

Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were murdered in the Shenandoah Mountains. Why hasn’t their case been solved? And should we really stay out of the forest?

Today’s episode — the second in our “New True Crime Books” series, features an enthralling read: Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders. My guest is author Kathryn Miles, an outdoor enthusiast who shares a connection to the story and compelling theory on who killed these amazing young women.

New Series: MISSING, MURDERED + THE MEDIA.

Kicking it off with my first guest, Amara Cofer — host of the podcast, Black Girl Gone. Amara brings a whole new perspective to the conversation, one that actually inspired me to change the title of the series. She speaks a lot about the importance of social media as a tactic in helping to raise awareness for cases that are historically left out of the mainstream media's coverage.

Let's go back to 1970's Chicago when the mob ruled the courts. What could go wrong? I had an incredible conversation with the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Jake Halpern.

Jake is the host of the new investigative podcast, Mob Land, which just dropped this week! The story centers around Bob Cooley - a mafia "fixer" turned FBI cooperator. Jake and I get into whether or not Bob can be trusted, what justice is or isn't — especially when corruption exists — and I think I stun Jake into silence with a Real Housewives analogy.

Ethical, transparent and accessible. Is that what comes to mind when you think of private law practice? Me either. But the work my guest today is doing, is trying to change all that.

Laurie Gilbertson left her work as a Prosecutor in New York City, where she tried everything from fraud to murder cases. In fact her last case was highly unique in that it took three times to get the defendant an attempted murder conviction despite the plethora of evidence and solid witnesses. This was the trial of Christopher Prince in Queens, New York. She now sits on the board of Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice - a legal incubator, designed to operate in a totally new way.

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Today's big question: Is it ever ok to do the wrong thing, for the right reason? We're talking about vigilantes on the show today.

My guest, Sam Walker, is a multi-award winning journalist, broadcaster and podcaster. Her show, American Vigilante, is about a man named KC. KC is the American Vigilante. A hugely complex, intelligent, contradictory man who could save your life but end it too. He leads a group of violent men standing on the blurred line between right and wrong, between revenge and redemption. A man you want on your side when it all falls apart. American Vigilante is true crime, but so much more. It’s saving abducted children, it’s stepping beyond the law. It’s rescue missions, assassination attempts and last-gasp protection. It’s all the stuff you hope never comes to you, until it does.