FBI Unscripted | Real Agents On Real Crime

Tonight on Hidden Killers Live, we’re taking on the uncomfortable truth institutions hate facing: sometimes the danger is right in front of them, but the structure, culture, and psychology of the environment keep anyone from calling it what it is. Retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins us to break down how those blind spots cost Washington State University crucial opportunities to intervene. This episode digs into the behavioral complaints that circulated inside WSU long before any crime occurred: the staring, the hovering, the boundary-breaking, the fear expressed by women in the department. These weren’t isolated incidents. They were a pattern. And patterns matter. Robin explains why institutions tend to frame patterned discomfort as a paperwork problem instead of a risk-behavior problem — and why that distinction is everything. Graduate programs rely heavily on autonomy, hierarchy, and informal power dynamics. When the person generating concern holds influence over students, especially women, the risk isn’t hypothetical. It’s structural. We examine why institutions minimize threat signals: fear of liability, fear of mislabeling someone, fear of overreacting, fear of confronting what they don’t want to acknowledge. Stacy joins with psychological insight into why women's instincts responded before anyone had the “official language” to describe what was wrong. Then we explore what was missing at WSU — not actions, but training. Why were faculty unprepared to identify patterned risk? Why did warnings get siloed instead of escalated? Why did a mandatory meeting produce no meaningful change? And what could have been done differently from the moment the first complaints surfaced? This isn’t about hindsight. It’s about understanding systemic blind spots so they aren’t repeated. For anyone trying to understand the line between unusual behavior and genuine threat, this conversation is a must-watch. #HiddenKillers #WSU #RobinDreeke #ThreatAssessment #CampusWarnings #BehavioralPatterns #TrueCrimeLivestream #TonyBrueski #RedFlags #InstitutionalFailure Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Some cases hit you in the gut, not because the details are complex, but because they’re painfully simple — and still, nothing happens. That’s the reality tonight as we look at the stories of Melodee Buzzard and Celeste Rivas Hernandez, two young girls caught in two different investigations that somehow keep producing the same baffling outcome: no real movement. Nine-year-old Melodee is missing. Her mother, Ashlee — the last adult with her — spent days traveling across state lines in disguises, swapping licenses, behaving erratically, and allegedly holding a man in her home while threatening him with a blade. Every red flag possible is waving, yet she’s free on an ankle monitor. No cooperation. No answers. No urgency from the bench. Fourteen-year-old Celeste was found in the frunk of a Tesla registered to musician D4vd — sealed inside a plastic bag, far into decomposition — and months later the medical examiner still can’t confirm cause or manner of death. No homicide charge. No negligence charge. Nothing but a misdemeanor for body concealment. And the silence around the investigation is deafening. Two different cities. Two different sets of facts. But the same disturbing theme: a system that acts confused at the exact moment when clarity is most needed. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to break down why these cases are stalling, why their outcomes remain so unclear, and why families and the public feel like they’re shouting into a void while the clock keeps ticking. If you’re watching these cases and wondering how either situation makes sense — you’re not alone. Let’s dig in. #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MelodeeBuzzard #CelesteRivasHernandez #BuzzardCase #D4vdCase #MissingKids #CrimeAnalysis #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this episode, Robin Dreeke — former FBI Special Agent and one of the country’s top behavioral analysts — joins me to examine the Delphi murders investigation through the only lens that can truly explain the depositions: human error. Evidence doesn’t make decisions. People do. And the depositions show a team of people overwhelmed, overloaded, and psychologically boxed in. Robin and I break down why investigators contradicted themselves, why memories shifted, why certain information was minimized, and why the entire system seemed to lose its grip on objectivity. Why did one investigator insist the FBI was removed from the case while another had no recollection of it? How did a key BAU assessment about ritual indicators disappear from the internal record? Why did the affidavit reshape crucial witness descriptions? Why were symbolic elements at the crime scene left largely uninterpreted? Why did the investigative team lock onto a lone-offender theory when their own internal testimony doesn’t even agree with it? Robin explains how narrative commitment forms inside a team under intense pressure — how the mind simplifies what is complex, how teams emotionally invest in a theory, and how anything that contradicts that theory begins to feel like a threat rather than a clue. We talk about burnout, tunnel vision, cognitive contamination, leadership vacuums, fragmented communication, and the psychological “reward loop” investigators get from forcing clarity onto chaos. This episode is not about conspiracy or blame. It’s about understanding how very human psychological patterns can quietly shape — and misshape — a homicide investigation. If you want to understand why the state’s clean narrative doesn’t match the messy reality  #Delphi #BehavioralAnalysis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #InvestigationReview #CognitiveBias #RichardAllen #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #JusticeSystem Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Robin Dreeke — retired FBI Special Agent and former head of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program — for a deep dive into the psychological collapse that happened inside the Delphi investigation. This isn’t about evidence. This is about behavior. The behavior of the investigators who shaped the case. The depositions reveal an investigative team working under immense pressure. And according to Robin, that pressure didn’t make the team sharper — it made them fracture. He explains how emotional fatigue, leadership confusion, and cognitive bias can break down an investigation from the inside long before the public ever sees the cracks. We talk about why investigators remembered key events differently. Why deeply contradictory testimony came from people sitting at the same table. Why timeline elements were reframed. Why symbolic evidence was ignored. Why the BAU’s early assessment seemed to vanish. Why investigators became anchored to a single suspect. And why potential alternative suspects weren’t pursued with even basic curiosity. Robin walks us through the behavioral science behind all of this: how fear reshapes memory, how teams under stress cling to simplistic narratives, how cognitive overload leads to dismissing complex information, and how internal uncertainty creates outward certainty that doesn’t match the reality behind the scenes. This is not a takedown of law enforcement — it’s a human analysis of what happens when people face overwhelming expectation, limited resources, and a community demanding closure. If you've always felt something “off” about the way Delphi unfolded, this episode will help you understand exactly what that “off” feeling is — and why the depositions expose a psychological unraveling at the heart of the case. #DelphiCase #FBIAnalysis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimeDeepDive #BehavioralScience #RichardAllen #JusticeAnalysis #MentalBias #InvestigativeFailures #HiddenKillers Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In today’s episode, former FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin Dreeke, joins me for a breakdown unlike anything you’ve heard about the Delphi case. Forget the sanitized, press-conference version of this investigation. Robin and I go deep into the human psychology behind the breakdown — the way investigators acted, reacted, remembered, forgot, contradicted each other, shut out certain leads, and emotionally locked onto others. The depositions don’t just reveal evidence issues. They reveal behavioral issues. And Robin reads those better than anyone. Why did two lead investigators swear under oath to completely opposite stories about the FBI’s involvement? How does a team forget or “not recall” something as significant as an early BAU ritual-indicator assessment? Why would symbolic elements at the crime scene be brushed aside? Why would red-flag behavior from potential suspects be minimized? Why were sticks left for days, evidence untested, witness statements reframed, and major investigative steps glossed over? Robin walks us through the behavioral patterns that show up when an investigative system is overwhelmed — from narrative lock, to tunnel vision, to fear-based decision making, to the emotional need to force coherence onto an incoherent case. We discuss cognitive contamination, leadership collapse, internal factioning, memory distortion, and the psychological pressure that quietly reshapes how investigators interpret facts. This episode isn’t about guilt or innocence. It’s about how the people behind the Delphi investigation functioned — and dysfunctioned. And why that matters. If you want to understand why this investigation feels so fractured, and what the depositions really reveal about the team that built the case, Robin’s analysis is absolutely essential. #Delphi #DelphiMurders #BehavioralAnalysis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrime #InvestigationBreakdown #Psychology #JusticeSystem #HiddenKillers #RichardAllen Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

It’s one of the most unsettling cases in recent memory: fourteen-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, found deceased in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to recording artist D4vd, sealed inside a plastic bag, severely decomposed — and yet months later, the official cause and manner of death remain “undetermined.” That one word has frozen the investigation in place. No homicide charge. No negligence charge. No clarity. Just a growing list of questions. Tonight on Hidden Killers, retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to break down the enormous gap between what the public sees and what investigators can legally prove. And that gap is where this entire case is currently stuck. The LAPD’s latest statement doubled down on one thing: the only confirmed criminal act so far is “concealment of a body.” Nothing more. Not yet. But when you place a teen inside the sealed front trunk of a car, in a state of decomposition so advanced that specialists — from entomologists to forensic anthropologists — are required just to interpret what’s left, the public is right to ask whether something more happened here. We explore the science, the timeline, the forensics, and the troubling silence from everyone involved. We unpack why the medical examiner is taking months, why “undetermined” doesn’t mean “no crime,” and why the search warrant executed at D4vd’s former residence was not random — it required probable cause. This case sits at the intersection of decomposition, legal thresholds, and a tightly controlled circle of silence. And until science gives investigators something concrete, the system remains at a standstill. Comment below with your thoughts: is this caution, bureaucracy… or something else entirely? #HiddenKillers #CelesteRivasHernandez #D4vdCase #TrueCrimeNews #CrimeAnalysis #JenniferCoffindaffer #Investigations #MissingTeens #ForensicScience #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

This is the case that makes the public stop and say, “What is going on here?” Because nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard is still missing, and the one adult who could explain what happened — her mother, Ashlee Buzzard — is out of jail, walking around with nothing more than an ankle monitor and a list of unanswered questions trailing behind her. Let’s break down what the public sees. A mother takes her daughter on a multi-state trip wearing wigs. She swaps license plates. She avoids witnesses. She can’t tell investigators a single verifiable detail about the last time Melodee was seen. Friends describe mental health crises, erratic behavior, and frightening instability. And then there’s the alleged moment where she tells a man she “knows where the child is,” locks him inside her house, and threatens him with a box cutter. That’s not a misunderstanding. That’s not confusion. That’s not the behavior of someone desperately searching for their missing child. And yet, despite all of this, a judge decided she could just… go home. No jail. No major conditions. No cooperation required. Tonight, on Hidden Killers, retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to dissect how this happens — how a child can vanish, how a mother can refuse to help investigators, and how the system can still send her back into the world with barely a restriction. We’re looking at the red flags, the risk factors, the psychological indicators, and the legal loopholes that left the public in disbelief. Because if this doesn’t qualify as a high-risk case requiring immediate detention, then what does? Drop your thoughts below: is this caution… or negligence? #HiddenKillers #MelodeeBuzzard #BuzzardCase #MissingChild #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeNews #CrimeAnalysis #LegalSystemFailure #Investigations #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Some cases hit you in the gut, not because the details are complex, but because they’re painfully simple — and still, nothing happens. That’s the reality tonight as we look at the stories of Melodee Buzzard and Celeste Rivas Hernandez, two young girls caught in two different investigations that somehow keep producing the same baffling outcome: no real movement. Nine-year-old Melodee is missing. Her mother, Ashlee — the last adult with her — spent days traveling across state lines in disguises, swapping licenses, behaving erratically, and allegedly holding a man in her home while threatening him with a blade. Every red flag possible is waving, yet she’s free on an ankle monitor. No cooperation. No answers. No urgency from the bench. Fourteen-year-old Celeste was found in the frunk of a Tesla registered to musician D4vd — sealed inside a plastic bag, far into decomposition — and months later the medical examiner still can’t confirm cause or manner of death. No homicide charge. No negligence charge. Nothing but a misdemeanor for body concealment. And the silence around the investigation is deafening. Two different cities. Two different sets of facts. But the same disturbing theme: a system that acts confused at the exact moment when clarity is most needed. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins us to break down why these cases are stalling, why their outcomes remain so unclear, and why families and the public feel like they’re shouting into a void while the clock keeps ticking. If you’re watching these cases and wondering how either situation makes sense — you’re not alone. Let’s dig in. #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MelodeeBuzzard #CelesteRivasHernandez #BuzzardCase #D4vdCase #MissingKids #CrimeAnalysis #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

The Epstein case has always revealed the same ugly truth: institutions protect influential adults far more aggressively than they protect exploited children. These new emails only deepen that pattern. In this Hidden Killers breakdown, Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analysis Program chief Robin Dreeke strip away the political noise and examine what the emails actually show: a system terrified of transparency, trained in secrecy, and conditioned to protect itself — even when minors are involved. Robin explains the behavioral reality behind the new revelations. Why Epstein described Trump as “a dog that hasn’t barked.” Why predators routinely exaggerate, distort, and manipulate — and how investigators separate lies from leverage. He details exactly how agents would treat these emails if they landed on a real FBI desk: timelines, corroboration, interviews, behavioral markers, and evidence triage. Tony and Robin also break down the DOJ’s credibility crisis. When officials insist there is “no client list,” “no more documents,” and “no wrongdoing,” the public hears something very different — especially after Epstein’s sweetheart plea deal, his unsecured sex-offender transfer, and his suspicious jail death. This episode digs into: The secrecy reflex agencies fall into when powerful names appear in case files How bureaucratic fear transforms into silence Why survivors feel erased when institutions minimize evidence Why bipartisan lawmakers are demanding the release of every Epstein file And what a morally correct, victim-centered investigation would look like today This isn’t about left or right. This is about children hurt, predators protected, and institutions choosing power over truth. Until we face that, nothing changes. #HiddenKillers #EpsteinCoverup #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #DOJ #EpsteinEmails #InstitutionalFailure #Accountability #ChildProtection #TransparencyAct Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Every time the Epstein story resurfaces, the same script plays out: politicians scream, narratives clash, and the core truth gets buried — kids were exploited, and adults with power were protected. These newly released Epstein emails aren’t about elections. They’re about behavior, complicity, and silence, and what happens when institutions value reputation more than justice. In this special episode of Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski sits down with former FBI Behavioral Program Chief Robin Dreeke to examine the emails through the lens investigators actually use: motive, manipulation, credibility, and psychological patterning. Robin breaks down how predators like Jeffrey Epstein use written claims — including the inflammatory line that Donald Trump “knew about the girls” — as tools. Tools to control, to threaten, to deflect, and to bind powerful people to their silence. And he explains why “no evidence of participation” is not the same thing as “no ethical concern.” Tony and Robin dissect why the public doesn’t trust the Department of Justice anymore — especially after years of sweetheart deals, sealed documents, withheld records, and a death that raised more questions than answers. They explore how secrecy becomes institutional muscle memory, not because of conspiracy, but because of bureaucratic fear. They also dive deep into the bipartisan push for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a rare moment when Congress finally seems to agree on one thing: the American public deserves the truth. This episode is not about defending politicians. It’s not about attacking them either. It’s about right versus wrong, victims versus power, and the behavioral reality that institutions protected the wrong people for far too long. No spin. No political bait. Just the psychology behind the silence — and why these emails matter more than anyone wants to admit. #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #EpsteinEmails #EpsteinCase #DOJ #FBI #InstitutionalSecrecy #PsychologyOfPower #Accountability Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

For the first time in years, something unprecedented is happening: Congress — left and right — finally agrees on one thing. The public deserves the truth about Epstein, his network, and the adults who may have enabled him. And these new emails may be the spark that forces the dam to break. In this powerful episode of Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analysis chief Robin Dreeke dissect the newly uncovered Epstein communications and the bipartisan push for full transparency. Tony asks the questions the public is asking: Why is DOJ still slow-walking Epstein files? Why are survivors being told “there’s nothing more to release”? And why does every revelation feel like institutions protecting themselves instead of protecting the victims? Robin explains what a transparency-focused response would look like if the system truly cared about justice. Victim-centered, evidence-driven, politically neutral, and behaviorally grounded. He also breaks down the internal panic that happens inside agencies when Congress demands a 30-day document release — and the chaos that erupts behind the scenes. They explore: Why survivors fear the system is still hiding names How politics hijacks cases involving children What loopholes to watch for in the Transparency Act And why the public’s distrust is not paranoia — it’s earned This episode isn’t speculation. It’s accountability. If the Epstein Files Transparency Act passes, the public might finally see what’s been buried for decades — and who helped bury it. #HiddenKillers #EpsteinFiles #TransparencyAct #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #EpsteinCase #InstitutionalAccountability #ChildProtection #TrueCrimePodcast #GovernmentOversight Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

For the first time in years, something unprecedented is happening: Congress — left and right — finally agrees on one thing. The public deserves the truth about Epstein, his network, and the adults who may have enabled him. And these new emails may be the spark that forces the dam to break. In this powerful episode of Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analysis chief Robin Dreeke dissect the newly uncovered Epstein communications and the bipartisan push for full transparency. Tony asks the questions the public is asking: Why is DOJ still slow-walking Epstein files? Why are survivors being told “there’s nothing more to release”? And why does every revelation feel like institutions protecting themselves instead of protecting the victims? Robin explains what a transparency-focused response would look like if the system truly cared about justice. Victim-centered, evidence-driven, politically neutral, and behaviorally grounded. He also breaks down the internal panic that happens inside agencies when Congress demands a 30-day document release — and the chaos that erupts behind the scenes. They explore: Why survivors fear the system is still hiding names How politics hijacks cases involving children What loopholes to watch for in the Transparency Act And why the public’s distrust is not paranoia — it’s earned This episode isn’t speculation. It’s accountability. If the Epstein Files Transparency Act passes, the public might finally see what’s been buried for decades — and who helped bury it. #HiddenKillers #EpsteinFiles #TransparencyAct #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #EpsteinCase #InstitutionalAccountability #ChildProtection #TrueCrimePodcast #GovernmentOversight Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

A rape. A strangulation. Video evidence. Multiple felony counts. And an 18-year-old who should’ve faced decades in prison — but didn’t. In Payne County, Oklahoma, Jesse Butler pleaded no contest to multiple violent felonies: rape, attempted rape, assault by strangulation, and rape by instrumentation. Each count carried heavy time — up to 78 years combined. But thanks to a stunning plea deal, Butler walked free. No prison. Just community service, counseling, and “youthful offender” status. The agreement was signed off by Judge Susan C. Worthington, prompting outrage from victims, advocates, and law-abiding citizens who can’t fathom how this could happen. A young woman nearly strangled to death — doctors saying seconds longer and she’d be gone — and the man responsible goes home. On Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins to break down how plea mechanics, influence, and institutional apathy intersect to create decisions that mock justice itself. We explore how Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Act was never intended for predators like Butler — and how misuse of that statute now threatens public safety statewide. This conversation asks the questions prosecutors and judges won’t: What message does this send to survivors? How many future victims will stay silent after seeing a predator walk free? And what does it say when violent offenders are given “second chances” while victims are left with life sentences of trauma? This isn’t about vengeance. It’s about proportion. It’s about a justice system that’s supposed to protect the vulnerable — and instead, too often, protects the well-connected. #JesseButler #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #JudgeWorthington #OklahomaJustice #RapeCase #PleaDeal #YouthfulOffender  Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

A mother under arrest. A daughter still missing. And an investigation that keeps stretching across states and logic alike. On Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we break down the case of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, missing since early October 2025. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was arrested November 7 in Santa Barbara County on a felony false-imprisonment charge with $100,000 bail. The sheriff’s office insists this arrest is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance — but investigators rarely say those words without a strategy behind them. Here’s the chilling timeline: Ashlee rented a white 2024 Chevy Malibu in Lompoc on October 7. Surveillance later captured wigs, and authorities allege a license-plate swap during the trip. The last verified sighting of Melodee occurred near the Utah-Colorado border on October 9. Days later, Ashlee returned to California — without her daughter. Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony and Stacy Cole to decode what “not directly related” really means — and how investigators may be using this charge as a containment tool while reconstructing Melodee’s final known route. From vehicle forensics to cell-tower triangulation and search-grid coordination, we analyze the likely behind-the-scenes maneuvers law enforcement won’t yet discuss publicly. We also examine the psychology of silence — when a parent refuses to cooperate, how do investigators keep hope alive without compromising the case? And what should the public be looking for right now that could truly help? This story is still unfolding. And somewhere along that route between Lompoc and Utah, the answers may still exist. #MelodeeBuzzard #AshleeBuzzard #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #MissingChild #FalseImprisonment #SantaBarbara #UtahColoradoBorder Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Two headlines. Two tragedies. And one justice system collapsing under its own contradictions. In California and Oklahoma — two stories this week reveal the same ugly truth: justice is selective. One mother sits in jail while her missing daughter remains unaccounted for. Another man, accused of horrific violence, walks free. First: The Melodee Buzzard case. Nine-year-old Melodee vanished in early October. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was arrested November 7 on a false-imprisonment charge, bail set at $100,000. Investigators insist the arrest isn’t directly tied to the disappearance — but behind that phrasing lies a strategic move. Authorities allege rented vehicles, wigs, and license-plate swaps, with Melodee last seen near the Utah-Colorado border on October 9. Ashlee returned to California alone. The public’s question: if she’s not charged for the disappearance, what’s she really being held for? Then: Jesse Butler. In Payne County, Oklahoma, an 18-year-old accused of rape, strangulation, and sexual assault was handed what amounts to freedom — no prison, only community service and counseling. A plea deal so soft it’s reigniting national outrage over judicial accountability. The victims nearly died; Butler walks out under the guise of “rehabilitation.” Together, these cases frame a system that punishes at random — one that acts swiftly against optics, but gently toward those it quietly favors. When a violent offender is treated with mercy and a missing-child case stalls behind legal semantics, we’re left with a single, bitter question: who is the justice system actually protecting? Former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski and Stacy Cole to pull back the curtain on both investigations — the legal strategy, the investigative psychology, and the moral failure playing out in real time. Two stories. Two families. One nation still pretending this is justice. #MelodeeBuzzard #JesseButler #AshleeBuzzard #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeSystem #FalseImprisonment #OklahomaJustice #MissingChild  Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

The real story isn’t just that the Epstein investigation was shut down — it’s how it was shut down. And why everyone inside stayed quiet. Former FBI Behavioral Program Chief Robin Dreeke joins me for an unflinching look at the inner workings of institutional obedience — the invisible forces that make people protect power instead of truth. Through a behavioral lens, Robin breaks down how fear travels through a bureaucracy — not as orders, but as tone, silence, and career calculus. He explains the moral corrosion that sets in when “don’t ask” becomes an unwritten rule, and why credible survivors are often the first to be dismissed. We go beyond the headlines to expose the psychological blueprint of a cover-up — from collective denial to reputation management masquerading as justice. This is the story of what happens when integrity is no longer an asset, but a liability. No partisanship. No conspiracy. Just behavioral truth. Because the psychology of protection — and the decay it causes — is far more dangerous than any single individual. #EpsteinCase #RobinDreeke #BehavioralAnalysis #DOJ #FBI #InstitutionalCoverUp #HiddenKillers #PsychologyOfPower #JusticeSystem #MoralCorrosion Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

When a system built to uncover truth suddenly goes dark, you have to ask: what are they protecting — and from whom? In this episode of Hidden Killers, former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke takes us inside the psychology of institutional cover-ups. From decades in counterintelligence and behavioral analysis, he’s seen how fear, ambition, and loyalty can twist good people into silent accomplices. We break down the psychological anatomy of the DOJ’s shutdown of the Epstein investigation — how an active federal probe into sex trafficking, money trails, and co-conspirators was quietly transferred, muted, and declared finished with a single memo. Robin explains how “strategic ignorance” becomes the easiest form of protection — and how the need for career safety can override the mission of justice itself. We talk about the banality of evil inside institutions: not cartoon villains, but intelligent professionals who rationalize betrayal as policy. This is not a partisan story — it’s a psychological one. It’s about how systems lose their moral reflection, how denial becomes doctrine, and why credibility is always the first casualty when power feels cornered. Join us as we dissect the psychology of silence, and what it takes to rebuild integrity inside the agencies meant to protect us. #EpsteinCase #DOJ #RobinDreeke #InstitutionalBetrayal #BehavioralAnalysis #HiddenKillers #CoverUpPsychology #JusticeSystem #FBI #PsychologyOfPower Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

It’s one of the most disturbing human patterns in modern power: the moment people stop serving truth and start serving the system. In this special episode of Hidden Killers, I’m joined by Robin Dreeke — retired FBI Special Agent and former Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program — to dissect the psychology of obedience and betrayal that defines institutional cover-ups like the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein investigation. Together, we explore how moral corrosion starts — one rationalization at a time. Why good people inside the system convince themselves silence is professionalism. And how institutions weaponize credibility to protect predators while punishing truth-tellers. Robin explains the behavioral dynamics behind groupthink, the survival instinct of bureaucracies, and why moral courage often dies in the shadow of career survival. We’re not talking conspiracy — we’re talking human nature: fear, ego, loyalty, and the desperate need to belong. The same forces that keep intelligence agencies running can also make them blind. This is about more than Epstein. It’s about what happens when justice itself becomes a brand — and the people inside forget what they signed up to protect. #HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #DOJ #FBI #EpsteinCase #InstitutionalBetrayal #PsychologyOfPower #BehavioralAnalysis #JusticeSystem #MoralCourage Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

It’s one of the most disturbing human patterns in modern power: the moment people stop serving truth and start serving the system. In this special episode of Hidden Killers, I’m joined by Robin Dreeke — retired FBI Special Agent and former Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program — to dissect the psychology of obedience and betrayal that defines institutional cover-ups like the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein investigation. Together, we explore how moral corrosion starts — one rationalization at a time. Why good people inside the system convince themselves silence is professionalism. And how institutions weaponize credibility to protect predators while punishing truth-tellers. Robin explains the behavioral dynamics behind groupthink, the survival instinct of bureaucracies, and why moral courage often dies in the shadow of career survival. We’re not talking conspiracy — we’re talking human nature: fear, ego, loyalty, and the desperate need to belong. The same forces that keep intelligence agencies running can also make them blind. This is about more than Epstein. It’s about what happens when justice itself becomes a brand — and the people inside forget what they signed up to protect. #HiddenKillers #RobinDreeke #DOJ #FBI #EpsteinCase #InstitutionalBetrayal #PsychologyOfPower #BehavioralAnalysis #JusticeSystem #MoralCourage Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

When an admitted violent offender walks free after 11 felony charges, something in the system is broken. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we expose how Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Act was used to spare 18-year-old Jesse Mack Butler from prison time after pleading no contest to multiple felony charges — including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and strangulation. Police say they found partial phone video of one attack. Medical reports confirmed that one victim required neck surgery after being choked to the edge of death. Despite the brutality, Butler’s case was reclassified from adult felony to Youthful Offender — effectively suspending a 78-year sentence and replacing it with a single year of supervision. Joined by Ret. FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke, Tony breaks down: The timeline of failures that let it happen. The family and community privilege surrounding the case. The behavioral patterns of predators — and those who protect them. Why “no-contest” pleas let defendants avoid public accountability. This is a story about systems that choose reputation over justice, mercy over morality, and silence over truth. 🎙️ New episodes every week — subscribe and turn on notifications for the stories others won’t touch.  #HiddenKillers #JesseButler #YouthfulOffender #StillwaterCase #TrueCrime #JusticeForSurvivors #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #SystemFailure #LegalLoophole Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872