69 SOUTH

What if the case everyone thinks is simple starts to unravel the moment you tug on the first thread? We dive into part two of our Karen Read deep-dive and walk through the decisions that shaped the investigation: off-site interviews with no recordings, a home that wasn’t searched for DNA, and a rapid focus on a single suspect while a circle of insiders went lightly probed. It’s a story about process—when it works, when it fails, and how bias can harden into “fact” before evidence gets a fair ... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

Start with laughter, stay for the jaw-drops. We kick off with Thanksgiving Eve chaos and family lore, then sprint into a luxury con where an Instagram food influencer dresses the part, eats like royalty, and allegedly vanishes at the check—offering “exposure,” trinkets, and audacity instead of payment. It’s equal parts scam and social media illusion, a lesson in how curated glamour can hustle real people who keep restaurants running. The temperature drops with a story that rattles the bones:... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A new lane opens with The Daily Detour—fast, sharp, and unafraid to press pause on the scroll. We kick off with Indiana oddities that remind us why local news still charms: a snowplow naming contest (Sleetwood Mac for the win), a nine-year-old’s compliment stand, a former stray turned K9 hero, and the mystery of stolen tortoises. Then the mood turns as we follow a viral DoorDash allegation that unravels under Ring video, doxxing, and felony charges for unlawful surveillance. It’s a crash cour... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A Boston cop dies on a snowy lawn. A girlfriend is accused. Then the medical details, text messages, and a relentless community start pulling the story in a very different direction. We dive into the Karen Read civil lawsuit with a clear timeline of the late-night house party, the alleged altercation, the dog bites, and the morning search that ended with a devastating discovery. Our goal is simple: lay out the claims, interrogate the evidence, and ask why obvious forensic questions seemed to ... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A five-year-old’s world narrowed to a locked closet, bread for dinner, and hours facing a corner while adults traded excuses. We unpack the forensic interviews that finally put words to what was happening inside the home, then follow a trail of witness statements from family, coworkers, and school staff that reveal how the truth leaked out—tied to a bed “so adults could sleep,” a drowning story that doesn’t align, and a pattern of minimization that let a crisis become a catastrophe. We talk ... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A five-year-old weighed twenty-one pounds, her hair crawling with lice, her world reduced to a closet blocked by a dresser. We trace how a child’s life narrowed to that small space—and how the adults around her layered lies, delay, and denial over obvious danger. We walk you through the full timeline: the delayed 911 call, the shifting claims about a father who hadn’t seen the children, and the last-hours visit from child services that missed a hidden room. Inside the home, investigators fou... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A trusted mentor. Four phones. Hundreds of messages. We trace how a robotics “helper” turned access into leverage and mentorship into control, grooming a 17-year-old through flattery, secrecy, and fear. The story unfolds in stages: off-campus meetups, gas station weed, a house visit that became a crime scene, and a flight to a rural hideout where deputies later seized devices and a firearm. What emerges through texts, diary entries, and an interview is a pattern that experts recognize: minimi... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A simple traffic stop cracked open a far more unsettling story. We start with a warrant, a BMW X5, and a baggie that tested positive for cocaine—but the real revelations unfold through a chain of search warrants, IP logs, Amazon receipts, and devices pulled from a condo that point to harassment, nonconsensual recording, and calculated online impersonation. We walk through how fake Instagram accounts pushed intimate videos to the victim’s contacts, how detectives traced activity back to a Veri... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

Blue lights cut through the dark on KY-80, a state trooper lies 18 feet from his cruiser, and the questions haven’t stopped for 35 years. We revisit the life and final shift of Kentucky State Trooper Johnny Edrington, retracing the timeline from Post 11 to a fateful U-turn after a speeding pickup and the moments that vanished in between. With eyewitness accounts, a stolen light-colored Ford truck, and scene details that don’t add up, we unpack a case that sits between homicide, suicide, and s... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

The predatory saga of former teacher Brittany Fortenberry takes another disturbing turn as we examine shocking new allegations from a third victim. What began as innocent visits to a friend's "aunt's" house quickly spiraled into a calculated pattern of exploitation that parents never suspected. Through exclusive analysis of the latest probable cause affidavit, we uncover how Fortenberry allegedly groomed this teenage boy beginning at age 14. The victim describes a methodical progression of b... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

The digital shadows we cast can sometimes conceal our darkest impulses - but what happens when the monster behind the screen is the very person sworn to protect you? In the tiny Michigan town of Bill City (population 312), 13-year-old Lauren received her first anonymous text message during a Halloween party. "Owen is breaking up with you," it claimed, referring to her boyfriend. What began as seemingly typical teenage drama quickly spiraled into a 15-month nightmare of relentless psychologic... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

What happens when every system meant to protect a child fails at once? Five-year-old Zara Arnold's story answers this question in the most devastating way possible. Zachary Arnold's violent history was no secret. With multiple arrests for violating protective orders, stalking charges, and even a rape accusation, he was a walking red flag. Yet somehow, the courts kept setting him free with minimal consequences, reducing his bonds from $200,000 to just $4,000, and dismissing serious felony cha... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

A disturbing pattern of institutional failure at Mooresville Christian Academy has finally come to light with the arrest of Jacob Wessel, a former robotics teacher now facing multiple charges involving minors. For years, school administrators ignored glaring red flags while Wessel allegedly groomed and victimized students right under their noses. The earliest documented incident dates back to 2021, when Wessel reportedly showed pornography to a 12-year-old student while driving him to a socc... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

What drives someone to risk everything for the darkest of compulsions? In this gripping episode, we dive into the disturbing case of Christopher Cooley, a Mooresville man who couldn't stop his predatory behavior even while out on bond for child exploitation charges. The digital breadcrumbs tell a chilling story. Despite pretrial release restrictions, Cooley acquired burner phones, created fake accounts, and attempted to cover his tracks with technological tricks that ultimately failed. When ... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content

What drives a person down a path of escalating criminal behavior despite multiple chances at redemption? In this eye-opening episode, we dive deep into the troubling case of Ryan Davis, Indiana DOC inmate #263161, whose criminal journey spans decades and reveals critical failures in our justice system. From a Christmas Day arrest for syringes to hiding in a police officer's attic, carjacking a neighbor, and most recently being caught with a 15-year-old runaway and dangerous drugs, Davis's st... Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/69-south/exclusive-content