What happens when a Wall Street icon and former NASDAQ chairman engineers “steady” returns that never existed? How did the split‑strike conversion myth, fake DTC trade records, and a locked‑down back office (“House 17”) conceal the largest Ponzi scheme in history—until a 2008 liquidity panic forced a confession? In this episode, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco—joined by guest host Mekey Gabriel—map the full Bernie Madoff timeline, the red flags the SEC missed, the collapse, the prosecutions, and the unprecedented victim‑recovery effort (SIPA & DOJ’s Madoff Victim Fund).

Tune in to hear:

• 1960–1990 – Rise & credibility: Madoff founds Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities (1960), becomes a respected market maker and later NASDAQ chairman (1990)—status that opened doors to wealthy clients and institutions.
• “Strategy” vs. sham: He markets a split‑strike conversion approach (blue‑chip stocks hedged with options) to explain smooth gains, but staff fabricate blotters, DTC reports, and statements; an isolated system (“House 17”) churns out fake records.
• 2000–2008 – Red flags & regulator misses: Whistleblower Harry Markopolos shows the returns are mathematically impossible; SEC receives credible tips but never independently verifies trading or runs a true Ponzi exam.
• Dec 10–11, 2008 – Collapse & confession: Amid crisis‑era redemptions, Madoff tells his sons, “There is no innocent explanation… I have been running a massive Ponzi scheme,” and is arrested.
• Mar 12, 2009 – Guilty plea: Pleads to 11 federal felonies (securities fraud, investment‑adviser fraud, mail/wire fraud, money laundering, false statements, perjury, ERISA theft).
• Jun 29, 2009 – Sentencing: 150 years in prison; $170B forfeiture judgment. Statements showed about $65B in “balances,” but true principal losses ≈ $17.5B—the key yardstick for SIPA recoveries.
• 2010–2014 – Prosecutions & clawbacks: Trustee pursues net winners, feeder funds, and institutions; a $7.2B recovery from a major investor’s estate (2010). JPMorgan’s 2014 deferred‑prosecution sends $1.7B to victims (part of $2.6B) and triggers AML reforms. Five longtime BLMIS staffers are convicted; Peter Madoff receives 10 years.
• 2010s–2025 – SIPA recoveries: Trustee Irving Picard has recovered or reached agreements for ≈$14.8B and distributed ≈$14.58B to allowed claims; a 16th pro‑rata distribution ($76.8M) in Feb 2025. June 2025 settlement with two Luxembourg funds poised to add $498.3M (pending court approval).
• 2013–2025 – DOJ Madoff Victim Fund (MVF): By late 2024, $4.3B paid to 40,930 victims in 127 countries (≈93–94% of eligible losses). In April 2025, DOJ notes total compensation to Madoff victims across programs has surpassed $12B.
• Apr 14, 2021 – Madoff dies in federal custody at age 82. By Oct 2025, direct and indirect recoveries remain historically large—though not uniform—and some matters continue.

Debate & analysis — Who knew, who failed, and why it persisted:

• Family knowledge: The advisory arm was walled off (the infamous Floor 17), with even family reportedly blocked from access. We weigh ignorance vs. manipulation and strict role‑segregation inside BLMIS.
• Regulatory failure vs. super‑conman: The SEC’s missed chances vs. the reforms that followed. Was this purely a master con—or also a case study in deference to prestige?
• Liquidity killed the lie: 2008 redemptions exposed the scheme because “income” wasn’t coming from trading at all.
• Feeder funds & hidden exposure: Many victims didn’t know they had indirect Madoff exposure until the collapse.
• Psychology of exclusivity: The “you’re lucky to be in” scarcity pitch short‑circuited due diligence—even for sophisticated investors.

Disclaimer:

Debate The News: True Crime Edition is for...

What happens when Halloween’s most infamous mask crosses from the screen into real life? How do murders involving a Michael Myers mask — from a random stabbing to a double homicide, a drifter’s home invasion, and an unsolved suburban shooting — expose the dark psychology of disguise, opportunity, and fear on October 31?

In this episode, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco dissect The "Halloween" Murders — four chilling cases in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Texas — and debate the "copycat" effect, mask curfews, and whether Halloween truly fuels violent crime. This true crime podcast breakdown explores how a fictional horror movie character became real‑world cover for murder, and what brought each killer (or suspect) to justice.

⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts.

Speakers:

→ Adrienne Barker — Host

→ Joseph Lobosco — Host

→ Jonathan Howard — Guest Contributor

→ Debbie Dowling-Wahba — Guest Contributor

Credits:

“Debate The News: True Crime”

Created by: Jonathan Bing, Adrienne Barker and Joseph R. Lobosco

Producers: Adrienne Barker, Joseph R. Lobosco, Danielle Paci, Jonathan Bing

Writers: Adrienne Barker & Joseph R. Lobosco

Editor: Joseph R. Lobosco

Cover Art: Joseph R. Lobosco

Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team

Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release]

Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds

Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma

Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube

🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production

📍 Recorded Live on Chatter Social

Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS / for Android)

What happens when a global worship brand is built over a fault line of secrecy, abuse, and greed? How did Hillsong Church’s meteoric rise—from chart‑topping music to celebrity pews—collide with allegations of child sexual abuse concealment, volunteer exploitation, LGBTQ exclusion, and a leadership implosion that shook the megachurch world?

In this episode, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco—with guest Host Heather Ford—unpack Scandals of Hillsong: from Brian & Frank Houston to Carl Lentz and Hillsong NYC/Dallas; from the 2014–2015 Royal Commission findings to 2023 parliamentary accusations about lavish spending; and the August 2023 courtroom verdict that capped a decades‑long saga. This is a hard‑hitting true crime podcast deep dive into a megachurch’s rise, reckoning, and fallout.

Tune in to hear:

1983 – Origins & brand power: Brian and Bobbie Houston found Hills Christian Life Centre in Sydney; worship music and a sleek brand fuel global growth—long before hidden scandals erupt.

Late 1999 – Confession, non‑reporting & hush money: Brian confronts father Frank Houston, who admits to historic child sexual abuse; leaders handle it internally, don’t go to police, and arrange a payout—Frank is quietly retired and later dies in 2004 without charges.

2014–2015 – Royal Commission findings: The inquiry concludes Brian failed to report Frank’s offenses and had a conflict of interest; investigators cite multiple victims across Australia and New Zealand, and police later bring concealment charges against Brian.

2015 – LGBTQ controversy: After two male choir members in Hillsong NYC get engaged, leadership states Hillsong “welcomes all people” but “does not affirm all lifestyles,” barring openly gay couples from leadership roles.

2010s – Volunteer exploitation claims: Former members describe grueling unpaid labor and leaders using volunteers for personal errands, stoking backlash over a “cool Christianity” brand built on free work.

Nov 4, 2020 – Carl Lentz fired: Hillsong announces Lentz’s dismissal for “leadership issues,” breaches of trust, and “moral failures”; he admits infidelity as an outside review probes broader misconduct in NYC.

Jan–Feb 2021 – Dallas implosion: Pastors Reed & Jess Bogard abruptly resign and Hillsong Dallas is shuttered amid serious allegations; a leaked report later details a rape accusation tied to earlier NYC years and wider culture concerns.

Feb 2021 → Apr 2022 – NYC report & leaks: An independent investigation delivered to Hillsong’s global board details inappropriate sexual relationships, nepotism, intimidation, wage violations, and explicit images circulating among leaders; a former nanny publicly alleges years of abuse by Lentz.

Jan–Mar 23, 2022 – Leadership crisis: While stepping aside to fight a concealment charge, Brian faces two internal misconduct complaints (inappropriate texts to a staffer; a drunken hotel‑room incident) that breach Hillsong’s code of conduct; he resigns on March 23, 2022.

Spring–Fall 2022 – Disaffiliations: In the wake of Brian’s exit, at least nine of Hillsong’s 16 U.S. campuses break away and rebrand; pastors and leaders worldwide resign as oversight and culture come...

In this episode, we discuss cases related to the popular "Scream" horror movie franchise and its fictional "Ghostface" character.

What you'll hear:

→ Case timeline: From late‑90s California to Belgium, the U.K., Idaho, and New York City.

→ Discussion & debate: Copycats, costumes & culpability - why offenders reach for a mask and what it says about our society & culture. The ethics of horror—creative freedom vs. social responsibility—and the psychology of notoriety, thrill‑seeking, and “scripted” violence.

Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals mentioned who have not been convicted in a court of law are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Listener discretion is advised. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts.

→ Adrienne Barker — Host

→ Joseph Lobosco — Host

→ Jonathan Howard — Guest Contributor

→ Angie aka Angiesworld — Guest Contributor

→ Leslie — Guest Contributor

Credits:

"Debate The News: True Crime"

Created by: Jonathan Bing, Adrienne Barker and Joseph R. Lobosco

Producers: Adrienne Barker, Joseph R. Lobosco, Danielle Paci, Jonathan Bing

Writers: Adrienne Barker & Joseph R. Lobosco

Editor: Joseph R. Lobosco

Cover Art: Joseph R. Lobosco

Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team

Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release]

Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds

Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma

Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube

🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production

📍 Recorded Live on Chatter Social

Download the Chatter Social app: (for iOS / for Android)

What happens when a father sworn to protect his children becomes their killer? How could PTSD, mental illness, and a failed system turn a loving dad into a monster in a 2025 child murder-suicide that shocked Washington State?

In this episode, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco delve into the Travis Decker triple homicide case – a shocking true crime tragedy in Washington – and debate its most troubling questions. Travis Decker, an Army veteran, murdered his three young daughters before taking his own life, triggering a multi-agency manhunt and raising debates about the veteran mental health crisis and the justice system’s role.

Tune in to hear:

• 2022–2024 – Downward spiral & custody battle: Travis and his wife Whitney separate amid his worsening mental health (PTSD and a borderline personality disorder diagnosis). Whitney voices safety concerns, leading a court to limit Travis’s unsupervised visitation with their daughters.
• May 30–31, 2025 – Disappearance of the Decker sisters: During a scheduled visitation, Travis fails to return 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia to their mother. By late May 30, a frantic Whitney reports the girls missing. An Endangered Missing Person Alert is issued as police learn Travis has been living out of his truck at campgrounds – heightening fears in this Washington State murders case.
• June 2, 2025 – Triple homicide at a campground: Investigators find Travis’s pickup near the remote Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. Nearby, they discover the bodies of all three Decker sisters, suffocated with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied. Chilling evidence (bloody handprints on the truck and camping supplies strewn around) suggests Travis planned the murders in advance. Travis himself is missing, turning the incident into a manhunt for the fugitive father.
• June 3–9, 2025 – Nationwide manhunt & revelations: Authorities charge Travis Decker in absentia with first-degree murder and kidnapping as a nationwide search intensifies. Police and federal agents scour the wilderness, noting the ex-soldier’s survival training could help him evade capture. A reported sighting in Idaho is debunked, and court documents reveal Travis scouted the campground days before the murders. Travis’s ex-wife’s attorney speaks out, calling him an “active dad” whom “the system failed” by not providing needed PTSD treatment. By June 9, autopsies confirm the girls were suffocated, intensifying public outrage and grief in this 2025 child murder-suicide case.
• June 24, 2025 – Grieving a community’s loss: Hundreds attend a public memorial service to honor Olivia, Evelyn, and Paityn. Through tears, loved ones share stories of the sisters’ bright personalities. Whitney Decker thanks supporters for their compassion, even as she’s left wondering if more could have been done to save her children.
• September 2025 – Final discovery & case closure: After three months with no sign of Travis, human remains are found in Washington’s rugged wilderness. On September 25, authorities confirm the remains are Travis Decker, who likely died by suicide. The manhunt ends with the sole suspect dead, leaving no trial – only painful questions about how and why this tragedy unfolded.
• Debate & analysis – Premeditation, PTSD, and systemic failure: Our panel debates whether Travis’s heinous act was a calculated plan or the result of a mental break. We examine how his combat PTSD and borderline personality disorder may have influenced...

Ed Gein – infamously dubbed the “Butcher of Plainfield” – was a seemingly unremarkable farmhand turned ghoul whose 1950s crimes shocked the world. In the sleepy town of Plainfield, Wisconsin, police discovered that Ed Gein’s ramshackle farmhouse was a real-life house of horrors: a collection of human remains stolen from graveyards and the bodies of his victims, grotesquely fashioned into furniture, clothing, and keepsakes. Gein confessed to the murders of two women and claimed dozens of late-night grave robberies, ultimately being declared insane and spending the rest of his life in a mental institution. His ghoulish story inspired legendary horror movie characters in films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, cementing Ed Gein’s place among America’s most notorious real-life serial killers. Tune in to hear how this quiet loner’s gruesome obsessions blurred the line between madness and evil – and spawned a monster more terrifying than any fiction.

What you’ll hear:

→ Troubled upbringing: Ed Gein grows up in Plainfield, WI under the fanatical rule of his religious mother, Augusta. An alcoholic father (who dies in 1940) and an older brother’s suspicious death in 1944 leave Ed utterly isolated – a reclusive “mama’s boy” fixated on pleasing his domineering mother.

→ Grave robbing obsession: After Augusta’s death in 1945, the now-isolated Gein spirals into a morbid fascination with the dead. Between 1947 and 1952 he secretly exhumes freshly buried women who resembled his mother and hoards their body parts, crafting ghastly keepsakes from bones and skin that turn his farmhouse into a personal house of horrors.

→ 1954 & 1957 – victims vanish: Plainfield tavern owner Mary Hogan vanishes without a trace in 1954, and three years later hardware store owner Bernice Worden goes missing. A trail of blood and a receipt for antifreeze (the last item Worden sold) point police to Gein’s farm as suspicion mounts.

→ November 1957 – house of horrors discovered: Investigators searching Gein’s property find Worden’s mutilated, decapitated body hanging in a shed like a slaughtered deer. Inside the house, they uncover an unspeakable collection of human remains – skulls, organs, and even furniture made of human skin – confirming the legend of the “Plainfield Butcher.”

→ 1968 trial & insanity verdict: Gein readily confesses to murdering Hogan and Worden, but in 1958 he is declared mentally unfit for trial and committed to an asylum. A decade later, in 1968, he finally stands trial for Bernice Worden’s murder and is found not guilty by reason of insanity – avoiding prison and spending the rest of his life in psychiatric custody until his death in 1984.

→ Legacy of horror: Ed Gein’s case sparked a media frenzy and an enduring public fascination, fueling debate about the insanity defense and how to deal with the criminally insane. His grotesque story inspired famous horror movie characters (from Norman Bates in Psycho to Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), ensuring that the real-life “monster” of Plainfield lives on in pop culture.

⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts.

Speakers:

→ Adrienne Barker — Host

→ Joseph Lobosco — Host

→ Angie aka Angiesworld — Guest Contributor

→ Leslie — Guest...

George Stinney Jr was just 14 years old when he was executed by electric chair in 1944, making him the youngest person executed in the U.S. This episode explores the notorious 1944 South Carolina murder case in which Stinney, a Black teenager, was wrongfully convicted of killing two young white girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, after a rushed two-hour trial with no credible evidence and without adequate legal representation. In this episode, Joseph Lobosco and Adrienne Barker delve into how racial injustice and a lack of due process sealed Stinney’s fate, and how his story – which later inspired Stephen King’s The Green Mile – continues to spotlight the horrors of the juvenile death penalty and wrongful convictions.

What you’ll hear:

→ March 1944 double murder: In segregated Alcolu, South Carolina, two girls – 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames – go missing while picking flowers and are found brutally beaten to death in a ditch the next day, sparking panic in the town.

→ A suspect targeted: George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who reportedly spoke with the girls earlier, is quickly arrested in the Jim Crow South. He’s interrogated alone for hours without a lawyer or his parents present; police claim he confesses, despite no written statement, no physical evidence, and Stinney’s slight build (5’1”, 95 lbs) casting doubt on his ability to overpower two victims.

→ Rushed trial: On April 24, 1944, Stinney’s capital murder trial lasts barely two hours. An all-white, all-male jury deliberates for just 10 minutes before finding him guilty. His court-appointed attorney (a tax commissioner with no criminal defense experience) calls no witnesses and mounts virtually no defense, while the prosecution’s case rests solely on the alleged verbal confession.

→ Execution of a minor: Stinney is sentenced to die by electrocution. On June 16, 1944 – only 83 days after the murders – he is put to death in the electric chair. At 14 years old, he remains the youngest person executed in 20th-century America. So small in stature, Stinney had to sit on a Bible as a booster seat; witnesses recall the adult-sized death mask slipping off his face during the fatal 2,400-volt surge.

→ Aftermath and silence: In the wake of the conviction, Stinney’s parents and siblings are driven out of town under threats (his father was fired and the family fled for their safety). The case disappears from headlines for decades, remembered only quietly in the community as a harrowing example of Jim Crow injustice. Some relatives of the victims continue to insist on Stinney’s guilt even years later, despite the case’s glaring irregularities.

→ Decades later – exoneration: The fight to clear Stinney’s name began anew in the 2000s. In 2014, a South Carolina judge reviewed the case and vacated George Stinney Jr.’s conviction – a full 70 years after his execution. Citing fundamental due process violations, the judge’s ruling officially exonerated Stinney, acknowledging the deeply flawed investigation and “confession,” and the ineffective defense that denied him a fair trial.

→ Legacy of injustice: George Stinney Jr.’s story stands as a powerful symbol of wrongful conviction and racial injustice. The case has fueled modern discussions about the juvenile death penalty, coercive interrogations of minors, and the urgent need for due process protections – and its parallels to the fictional Green Mile narrative have kept this 1944 tragedy alive in the public consciousness.

⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law...

George Stinney Jr was just 14 years old when he was executed by electric chair in 1944, making him the youngest person executed in the U.S. This episode explores the notorious 1944 South Carolina murder case in which Stinney, a Black teenager, was wrongfully convicted of killing two young white girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, after a rushed two-hour trial with no credible evidence and without adequate legal representation. In this episode, Joseph Lobosco and Adrienne Barker delve into how racial injustice and a lack of due process sealed Stinney’s fate, and how his story – which later inspired Stephen King’s The Green Mile – continues to spotlight the horrors of the juvenile death penalty and wrongful convictions. The conversation continues in Part 2 (releasing on Tuesday, October 21st).

What you’ll hear:

→ March 1944 double murder: In segregated Alcolu, South Carolina, two girls – 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames – go missing while picking flowers and are found brutally beaten to death in a ditch the next day, sparking panic in the town.

→ A suspect targeted: George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who reportedly spoke with the girls earlier, is quickly arrested in the Jim Crow South. He’s interrogated alone for hours without a lawyer or his parents present; police claim he confesses, despite no written statement, no physical evidence, and Stinney’s slight build (5’1”, 95 lbs) casting doubt on his ability to overpower two victims.

→ Rushed trial: On April 24, 1944, Stinney’s capital murder trial lasts barely two hours. An all-white, all-male jury deliberates for just 10 minutes before finding him guilty. His court-appointed attorney (a tax commissioner with no criminal defense experience) calls no witnesses and mounts virtually no defense, while the prosecution’s case rests solely on the alleged verbal confession.

→ Execution of a minor: Stinney is sentenced to die by electrocution. On June 16, 1944 – only 83 days after the murders – he is put to death in the electric chair. At 14 years old, he remains the youngest person executed in 20th-century America. So small in stature, Stinney had to sit on a Bible as a booster seat; witnesses recall the adult-sized death mask slipping off his face during the fatal 2,400-volt surge.

→ Aftermath and silence: In the wake of the conviction, Stinney’s parents and siblings are driven out of town under threats (his father was fired and the family fled for their safety). The case disappears from headlines for decades, remembered only quietly in the community as a harrowing example of Jim Crow injustice. Some relatives of the victims continue to insist on Stinney’s guilt even years later, despite the case’s glaring irregularities.

→ Decades later – exoneration: The fight to clear Stinney’s name began anew in the 2000s. In 2014, a South Carolina judge reviewed the case and vacated George Stinney Jr.’s conviction – a full 70 years after his execution. Citing fundamental due process violations, the judge’s ruling officially exonerated Stinney, acknowledging the deeply flawed investigation and “confession,” and the ineffective defense that denied him a fair trial.

→ Legacy of injustice: George Stinney Jr.’s story stands as a powerful symbol of wrongful conviction and racial injustice. The case has fueled modern discussions about the juvenile death penalty, coercive interrogations of minors, and the urgent need for due process protections – and its parallels to the fictional Green Mile narrative have kept this 1944 tragedy alive in the public consciousness.

⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is...