Episodios

  • Kevin Franke: Manipulated Victim or Willing Bystander? The Psychology Behind ‘Devil in the Family’ | 2025 True Crime

    Kevin Franke: Manipulated Victim or Willing Bystander? The Psychology Behind ‘Devil in the Family’ | 2025 True Crime
    Jan 4 2026
    Was Kevin Franke a victim of psychological manipulation — or a bystander who found it easier not to look too closely? In this gripping Hidden Killers deep dive, Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott analyze one of the most troubling dynamics explored in Hulu’s Devil in the Family: a father who insists he never recognized the abuse happening under his own roof.

    The episode begins with the psychology of Kevin’s denial. How does a spouse convince themselves that extreme parenting is “discipline” rather than danger? Shavaun Scott breaks down the mechanisms of thought-reform, coercive influence, and the slow erosion of intuition. And then the most haunting question of all: what makes a father step away from his own children for an entire year because an outside “guru” told him to?

    But the story doesn’t end with the collapse of the Franke family. Kevin recently announced his engagement, just six months after finalizing his divorce from Ruby — who is now serving a possible 30-year prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. The public reaction has been split: is this healing, deflection, or strategic rebranding?

    Tony and Shavaun examine the psychology of rapid re-partnering after trauma, the desire to rewrite personal identity, and the fine line between moving forward and bypassing accountability. We also explore Kevin’s recent support of Utah’s new “child influencer” law — a step toward protecting children exploited in monetized online content. His testimony was powerful, but does it reconcile the years he stood behind a camera while harmful parenting was broadcast to millions?

    This episode asks the hardest questions:
    Was Kevin controlled — or complicit?
    Is he rebuilding — or rebranding?
    And what does accountability look like for the children who had no choice?

    #KevinFranke #RubyFranke #8Passengers #HiddenKillers #PsychologicalAbuse #DevilInTheFamily #ParentalAccountability #TrueCrimeAnalysis #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott


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    30 m
  • Wendi Freezes, Robert Speaks: The Adelson Kids Break Silence | 2025 True Crime

    Wendi Freezes, Robert Speaks: The Adelson Kids Break Silence | 2025 True Crime
    Jan 2 2026
    In today’s explosive Hidden Killers breakdown, we examine the testimony that has completely reshaped the Donna Adelson trial — testimony not from police, not from experts, but from Donna’s own children, whose words now carry some of the greatest weight in the courtroom.

    First, we turn to Wendi Adelson, whose strategy has the courtroom buzzing. While her brother Robert delivered blunt, precise answers, Wendi leaned heavily on one phrase:
    “I don’t remember.”
     Again. And again. And again.

    But is this selective memory a trauma response from years of family pressure, manipulation, and emotional control?
    Or is it a carefully crafted shield — a strategic fog meant to protect herself, the family, and possibly Donna?

    Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins Tony Brueski to dissect Wendi’s demeanor in real time, explaining how adult children of dominant or narcissistic parents often split — one breaking free and telling the truth, the other staying entangled in loyalty, denial, or fear. Jurors watch every pause. Every hesitation. Every dodge. And Shavaun breaks down exactly what those signals mean.

    Then we shift to Robert Adelson, whose testimony landed like a hammer. Clinical. Direct. Brutally honest. He described Donna’s controlling tendencies, her intrusion into major life decisions, and her eerie lack of concern after Dan Markel’s murder. His words were not defensive. They were revelatory.

    Defense Attorney Eric Faddis joins Tony to analyze how jurors absorb testimony when it comes straight from a defendant’s own children — one distancing herself through “I don’t remember,” the other stepping into the sunlight with uncomfortable truth.

    Is this character evidence — or is it motive crystallized?
    Are we watching a family fracture, or a family finally telling the truth about its own internal gravity?

    This isn’t just testimony.
    This is the Adelson family dynamic cracked open in front of a jury — loyalty, fear, denial, resentment, and survival all colliding in real time.

    #DonnaAdelson #WendiAdelson #DanMarkel #AdelsonTrial #TrueCrime #CourtroomDrama #ShavaunScott #EricFaddis #FamilyDynamics #HiddenKillers


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    35 m
  • Kohberger's Sham Remorse Exposed: Was His Guilty Plea Just Twisted Pride? Experts Spill All! | 2025 True Crime

    Kohberger's Sham Remorse Exposed: Was His Guilty Plea Just Twisted Pride? Experts Spill All! | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 30 2025
    🔍 Unmask the chilling void inside Bryan Kohberger as psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and retired FBI behavior chief Robin Dreeke dissect his narcissistic psyche and "proud" courtroom confession – in this explosive recap from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Locked in four life sentences after his July 2025 guilty plea, Kohberger's dead-eyed stare and fidgety eagerness screamed anything but regret: Experts call it grandiosity-fueled basking, a psychopath's crave for spotlight over the #Idaho4 graves he dug. From criminology obsessions morphing into vengeful stabs to lifelong isolation breeding zero empathy, we probe the wiring—childhood bullying, heroin haze, and a god-complex that botched his "perfect" escape with sheath DNA and Amazon slips.

    This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today fusion rips open the plea facade: No tears of sorrow, just calculated dodges from the firing squad, echoing BTK's fame chase. Scott flags red flags like violent fantasies and social shutdowns ignored at WSU; Dreeke warns of his prison power plays, where he'll manipulate for eternal infamy. Tie it to November 2025 shocks—the Goncalves' WSU lawsuit slamming overlooked creeps, plus restitution drags over $30K funds and urn costs post-November 5 hearing, fueling cries for campus safeguards.

    True crime fiends, this is the gut-punch autopsy: A killer's empty shell craving study sessions over soul-searching. Did his "I did it" thrill him more than terrify? Essential rewind on arrogance's deadly cost and dodged executions in the Idaho nightmare.

    #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #PsychBreakdown #GuiltyPleaPride #TrueCrime #KohbergerPsyche #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #NarcissistKiller


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    47 m
  • Kohberger's Delusional Escape Plan: Psych Expert Exposes What Doomed Him! | 2025 True Crime

    Kohberger's Delusional Escape Plan: Psych Expert Exposes What Doomed Him! | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 29 2025
    🔍 Discover how Bryan Kohberger's twisted mind plotted a perfect getaway from the Idaho murders – only to unravel spectacularly – in this mind-bending analysis from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Post his July 2025 guilty plea and four life sentences, psychotherapist insights peel back the layers: A criminology whiz who studied killers, yet botched basics like phone pings, Amazon traces, and that damning Ka-Bar sheath DNA left at the #Idaho4 scene. What fueled his god-complex arrogance? Childhood isolation, academic ego, and a fatal underestimation of forensic tech – all dissected in raw detail.

    This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today deep dive spotlights the psychotherapist's takedown: Kohberger's "invisible" stalking at WSU, delusional alibis blending into night drives, and why third-party theories were smoke screens for his crumbling facade. Relive the November 2022 frenzy – muffled screams, survivor shadows, and evidence avalanche that crushed his noose-dodging dreams. Echoing into 2025: The Goncalves' WSU lawsuit filed November 19 blasts overlooked red flags, while restitution clashes over the $30K fund and urn reimbursements rage post-November 5 hearing, demanding systemic fixes for campus creeps.

    True crime sleuths, this is electric: Expert probes into a killer's blind spots, from premed buys to plea panic, revealing why overconfidence writes epitaphs. Did he ever think he'd walk free? Unpack the psyche that turned student into sentenced shadow – your 2025 blueprint for spotting monsters in plain sight.

    #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #PsychBreakdown #EscapePlan #TrueCrime #KohbergerPsyche #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderMind


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    54 m
  • The Epstein Emails: Evidence of a System Protecting Itself — What Robin Dreeke Says Comes Next | 2025 True Crime

    The Epstein Emails: Evidence of a System Protecting Itself — What Robin Dreeke Says Comes Next | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 27 2025
    The Epstein case has always exposed one uncomfortable truth: powerful institutions often protect influential adults far more aggressively than they protect exploited children. In this explosive episode of Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analysis Program chief Robin Dreeke dissect the newly surfaced Epstein-related emails — not through political spin, but through the lens of psychology, behavioral analysis, and institutional dynamics.

    Dreeke explains how seasoned investigators would actually handle these emails: timelines, corroboration, interviews, behavioral markers, deception indicators, and triage of evidence. He breaks down why Epstein described Trump as “a dog that hasn’t barked,” how predators routinely exaggerate or manipulate their associations for leverage, and why trained agents never take a single email at face value.

    But the deeper story is institutional psychology. Robin and Tony analyze what happens when agencies fall into secrecy reflexes, bureaucratic fear, and reputation-protection — especially after years of public mistrust stemming from the sweetheart plea deal, the lax supervision during Epstein’s sex-offender monitoring, and the questions surrounding his jail death. The issue isn’t politics; it’s institutional self-preservation.

    Then the conversation widens with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joining to explore institutional betrayal — the emotional and societal fallout when the public sees how systems failed to protect victims. From law enforcement to financial institutions to media ecosystems, the Epstein files reveal not just individual wrongdoing but systemic collapse.

    Shavaun breaks down why betrayal by trusted institutions causes deeper trauma than betrayal by individuals, why people defend public figures even against evidence, and what a victim-centered investigation should look like now.

    This episode isn’t about left or right.
    It’s about truth vs. power, children vs. institutions, and the national reckoning waiting on the other side of the Epstein files.

    #HiddenKillers #EpsteinCase #EpsteinEmails #InstitutionalBetrayal #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #TonyBrueski #DOJ #FBI #CoverUpPsychology #TrueCrimeAnalysis #Accountability #PowerAndAbuse


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    1 h y 13 m
  • 10 Signs Rex Heuermann’s Family Missed — FBI & Psych Experts Reveal the Truth! | 2025 True Crime

    10 Signs Rex Heuermann’s Family Missed — FBI & Psych Experts Reveal the Truth! | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 27 2025
    How does a family live beside an alleged serial killer for nearly three decades without realizing the monster in their own home? In this powerful episode, two top behavioral experts—retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott—break down the psychological blind spots, emotional dynamics, and manipulation patterns that may explain how Rex Heuermann hid a double life from those closest to him.

    Robin Dreeke opens the conversation with an FBI-level behavioral analysis of Asa Ellerup, Heuermann’s longtime wife. He explores the subtle traits predators often look for in partners: trust over curiosity, stability over confrontation, and a tendency to rationalize red flags instead of investigating them. Dreeke explains how “truth-default mode” and compartmentalization allow serial offenders to mask their darkest impulses while maintaining the appearance of normal family life. We analyze key moments from the Peacock documentary that reveal how Asa’s behaviors, reactions, and emotional patterns may have made her vulnerable to deception—not complicit in it.

    Then we shift to their daughter, Victoria, whose heartbreaking journey unfolds in real time. Shavaun Scott walks us through the psychological shock of realizing a beloved parent may be responsible for unimaginable violence. From Victoria’s “love and hate can coexist” confession to her disturbing trauma-processing artwork, we explore ambiguous loss, identity shattering, and the impossible emotional math children of accused killers must reconcile. Victoria’s shift from admiration to believing her father is “most likely guilty” is one of the most honest and devastating arcs in true-crime storytelling.

    This episode exposes not only how evil hides in plain sight—but how it fractures the

    #GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #VictoriaHeuermann #TrueCrimeAnalysis #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #RobinDreeke #ShavaunScott #SerialKillerFamily #HiddenKillers


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    37 m
  • Rex Heuermann’s Wife Shows the LOCKED ROOMS He Forbade Her to Enter! | 2025 True Crime

    Rex Heuermann’s Wife Shows the LOCKED ROOMS He Forbade Her to Enter! | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 26 2025
    In this deeply unsettling analysis, we examine two of the most revealing pieces of footage from the Gilgo Beach case: Asa Ellerup’s tour of the rooms she was forbidden to enter for 27 years, and her emotional responses during a jail call with accused serial killer Rex Heuermann. Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott joins us to break down the psychological contradictions, trauma-bond patterns, and body-language “tells” that expose the control dynamics inside this marriage.

    First, we explore Asa’s walkthrough of the house: a gun room behind a steel door, a locked space under the stairs she’d never seen, and the basement investigators believe may be tied to multiple murders. Even as she demonstrates the locks, she insists “nothing was off limits.” Scott explains this as classic “doublethink,” a defense mechanism where two opposing truths are held to avoid cognitive collapse. From her closed eyes during stressful moments to her insistence that investigators are “picking, picking, picking,” every movement reveals emotional conflict.

    Then we shift to the jail phone call. Rex casually discusses dinner while facing seven murder charges. He never proclaims innocence — a strategic silence, Scott notes — while Asa brightens just hearing his voice despite her visible physical decline. Their divorce, she argues, was “strategic,” yet the emotional attachment remains intact. We analyze Victoria Heuermann’s shifting language, normalized violence in the home, and why certain family members break free while others remain psychologically tethered.

    This episode digs into denial, coercive control, compartmentalization, and how predators create environments where locked rooms — literal and emotional — become part of everyday life. For anyone wanting to understand the psychological machinery behind serial offenders and their families, this is essential viewing.

    #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeachMurders #SerialKillerPsychology #TraumaBonding #BodyLanguageAnalysis #TrueCrimeCommunity #HiddenKillers #LockedRooms #LongIslandSerialKiller


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    43 m
  • Donna & Wendi Adelson: The Family Fracture Exposed | 2025 True Crime

    Donna & Wendi Adelson: The Family Fracture Exposed | 2025 True Crime
    Dec 26 2025
    In this 2025 Year-in-Review Hidden Killers special, we examine one of the most explosive family implosions in any modern true-crime case: the unraveling alliance between Donna Adelson and her daughter Wendi, and why that break may define the future of the Dan Markel murder trial.

    This combined episode covers two of the biggest developments of the year. First: the seismic moment when Wendi Adelson refused to testify for her mother. Donna’s defense team attempted a high-risk maneuver by subpoenaing her to the stand — but Wendi fought back, and the judge quashed it. Her refusal is more than a legal decision; it marks a profound fracture in a family once united by control, privilege, and secrecy. While Charlie Adelson — already convicted — remains fiercely loyal to his mother, Wendi has stepped away, choosing her own survival over Donna’s defense.

    Then there’s Donna herself. Unlike most defendants facing overwhelming evidence and three prior co-conspirator convictions, Donna insists she will testify. Against the strong advice of her attorneys, she believes she can charm, persuade, or out-talk the jury. But is that confidence grounded in strategy — or in denial, ego, and the need to maintain control at all costs?

    Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and defense attorney Bob Motta join Tony Brueski to analyze what these decisions reveal psychologically:
    • Why Wendi’s silence may be the loudest message of the entire trial.
    • Why Charlie’s loyalty may be more about identity than innocence.
    • How Donna’s need for dominance could lead her to self-destruct on the stand.
    • And what this intergenerational collapse means for the Markel children, now old enough to understand the tragedy woven into their family name.

    This is not just a trial update — it’s the psychological autopsy of a family once built on unity and now shattered in the public eye. Loyalty, silence, betrayal, survival — all playing out in real time.

    #DonnaAdelson #WendiAdelson #DanMarkel #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #MurderTrial #FamilyPsychology #BobMotta #ShavaunScott #CourtroomDrama


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    39 m
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