One Minute Remaining - Stories from the inmates
Jack Laurence
One Minute Remaining is a true crime and prison podcast featuring first-hand stories from inmates serving lengthy sentences inside prisons across the United States. From murder and attempted murder to robbery, arson and claims of wrongful conviction, these are criminal cases told from behind prison walls. Hosted by Jack Laurence, One Minute Remaining gives prisoners the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words. We examine the crimes, the evidence and the cases that led to their incarceration, while hearing directly from the people serving the sentences. Some maintain their innocence. Others admit exactly what they did. Some are serving life sentences or decades behind bars. The purpose isn't to prove them innocent or guilty — it's to hear their account, examine the case against them, and let you decide what you think. From murder cases and disputed convictions to extraordinary stories from inside the American prison system, One Minute Remaining takes listeners beyond the headlines and into cases they may never otherwise have heard. Hosted by Australian podcaster Jack Laurence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One Minute Remaining is a true crime and prison podcast featuring first-hand stories from inmates serving lengthy sentences inside prisons across the United States. From murder and attempted murder to robbery, arson and claims of wrongful conviction, these are criminal cases told from behind prison walls. Hosted by Jack Laurence, One Minute Remaining gives prisoners the opportunity to tell their stories in their own words. We examine the crimes, the evidence and the cases that led to their incarceration, while hearing directly from the people serving the sentences. Some maintain their innocence. Others admit exactly what they did. Some are serving life sentences or decades behind bars. The purpose isn't to prove them innocent or guilty — it's to hear their account, examine the case against them, and let you decide what you think. From murder cases and disputed convictions to extraordinary stories from inside the American prison system, One Minute Remaining takes listeners beyond the headlines and into cases they may never otherwise have heard. Hosted by Australian podcaster Jack Laurence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tariq Maqbool: The Gown, the Handcuffs and the Asterisk Charge
Episodes
Tariq Maqbool had just earned his associate degree from Thomas Edison State University, studying by correspondence from inside East Jersey State Prison. With his mother visiting from Texas, he asked to take part in the prison's graduation ceremony. His university sent him a gown. Prison staff fitted him in it. Then, on the day, he was told he couldn't wear it. Tariq chose his prison khakis instead and was told that was his choice. A few hours later he was in handcuffs, charged with disobeying an order, and moved to Northern State Prison in Newark. In this One Minute Remaining update, we hear from Tariq about what happened, explain what an asterisk charge is, and look at how New Jersey's in house disciplinary hearings, known as court line, really work. The charge was overturned. But how did it get this far? Listen now to One Minute Remaining, and follow Tariq Maqbool's story as it unfolds. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What is it really like to serve a life sentence? In this special Q&A episode of One Minute Remaining, Jack sits down with Susan Brown, a woman serving life for murder in Michigan, to put your questions to her. Nothing was off the table. Susan talks about the everyday realities most people never think about, from using the bathroom in the middle of the night with a cell partner a few feet away, to whether women in prison can get hold of makeup. Then the conversation turns to the bigger questions. Does incarceration actually work? And what are the biggest misconceptions people have about life inside? Honest, surprising and at times uncomfortable, this is prison life in Susan Brown's own words. Thank you to everyone who sent in a question. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2003, Susan Brown was 30 weeks pregnant when her estranged husband came to her Detroit home. She says he beat her, raped her and stabbed her in the stomach, and that she fought back to save herself and her unborn child. He died. Susan waited on the curb for police, gave birth by emergency C section hours later, and was then charged with premeditated first degree murder. She has been serving life without the possibility of parole ever since. After years of work by advocates and a public commutation hearing before the Michigan Parole Board, Susan's bid for clemency was denied. In this episode, Susan joins me again to talk about how she has coped since hearing that news, what it took to keep going, and what happens now. Because the door is not closed. Susan gets to try again, and she is already preparing to do exactly that. We also talk about the very polarising situation of a female prisoner whos death sentence was carried out and failed, twice. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For more than a decade, Anthony Duke has been behind bars, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the 2011 murder of his friend, Ronald Hauser. It's a crime Tony has always maintained he did not commit. As a long-time guest of One Minute Remaining, Tony has shared the realities of life behind bars. But recently, that life was turned upside down when, without warning, he was told to pack up his belongings. He was being transferred to another prison. In this episode, I catch up with Tony to find out where he's ended up, how his new surroundings compare to the prison he'd grown accustomed to, and what it's like to have your entire world uprooted when you have no say in the matter. We also take a closer look at how prison transfers actually work, what happens when an inmate is moved, and the challenges of starting over in an unfamiliar facility. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The case against Traveontaye Berry was built on a foundation of procedural failures, forensic gaps, and witness contamination. But what does a seasoned trial lawyer see when he reviews the entire investigation, the trial itself, and the conviction? In this episode, Michael Leonard of Leonard Trial Lawyers in Chicago joins us. Michael has spent his career defending people charged with serious crimes. He knows what the law requires. He knows what happened here. Michael sits down to dissect every piece of evidence we've examined, every decision that was made, and every moment where the system failed to protect a sixteen-year-old boy's right to a fair trial. This is the legal reality of Traveontaye Berry's case: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours. When they returned, the verdict was guilty on Count 4: First-Degree Murder. Traveontaye Berry, sixteen years old, was facing fifty-two years in prison. The rest of his life, behind bars. In this final episode of our series, Tray talks about that moment. What it felt like to hear the words. The reality of his sentence hitting him. The years ahead stretching out with no clear end. But this is not where his story ends. After more than a decade in prison, new evidence emerged. Two people came forward with sworn affidavits claiming that Myleka Avery, the state's only eyewitness, admitted to them that she lied. That she knew Traveontaye Berry was innocent. That she identified him anyway. Based on these new affidavits, Tray was granted a post-conviction evidentiary hearing. For the first time in more than eleven years, his conviction could be challenged. New testimony could be heard. The truth could finally emerge. This is Part Ten of Traveontaye Berry's story, and the beginning of his fight for freedom: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
By the time Traveontaye Berry's case reached trial in February 2015, he had already faced a choice most teenagers should never have to make: accept a plea deal or roll the dice in a courtroom. He chose to fight. In this episode, Tray walks us through what that meant. The deal he turned down. The prosecution's case against him. His defence. What it felt like to be 16 years old, sitting in a courtroom, watching a jury make a decision that would define the rest of his life. He talks about the trial process itself: the evidence presented, the witnesses who testified, the arguments made on both sides. And he talks about his own experience of it all. The fear. The hope. The reality of watching a jury deliberate for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict. Six counts of First-Degree Murder. Fifty-two years. This is Part Nine of Traveontaye Berry's story: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Over the past seven episodes, we’ve examined the physical evidence gaps, the witness contamination, the unrecorded photo lineup, and the investigative decisions that led to Traveontaye Berry’s conviction. But what does a professional murder investigator see when he listens to these police interviews? In this episode, we sit down with Steve Keogh, a former Scotland Yard Detective Inspector with 30 years in the Metropolitan Police and 12 years investigating homicides. During his career, Keogh investigated over 100 murders across London. He’s written extensively on how murders are really investigated, consulted on major crime cases, and now examines murder investigations for television and his media work. We played him the police interview recordings from the Traveontaye Berry investigation. We asked him to assess the interview methodology, the witness handling, the procedural decisions, and the investigative approach that shaped this case. What Steve identified is a masterclass in how not to conduct a murder investigation. From leading questions to witness contamination, hear how a veteran detective works. This is Part Eight of Traveontaye Berry’s story: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. Check out Steves podcast here SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Over the course of this investigation, a name keeps surfacing. Multiple times. Multiple witnesses. In interviews with police, in statements given in the hours and days after Carl Green Jr. was shot, three separate people mention this individual in connection with the crime. According to witness accounts, this person was present that night. This person allegedly had a weapon. And perhaps most significantly, this person had previously threatened Carl Green Jr. So why was Traveontaye Berry the only person arrested? In Part Seven, we examine what investigators knew about this alternative suspect, what they chose to investigate, and what they chose to ignore as they built their case against a 16-year-old boy. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I need to be really clear about something. No one other than Trae has ever been arrested, charged, tried or convicted for the murder of Carl Green Jr. The other people mentioned in these interviews have never been charged with anything in connection with this case, and some have denied any involvement. What we're examining here is what investigators considered, what witnesses said, and the choices police made in directing their investigation toward one suspect whilst potential leads involving others went unexplored. This is Part Seven of Traveontaye Berry's story: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Episode Five, we heard how police brought two eyewitnesses into the same room and had them confront each other about conflicting accounts. Now, in Part Six, we examine something equally troubling. Myleka Avery, the prosecution's only eyewitness, spent her first two police interviews stating she did not know Traveontaye Berry. She had no idea who had fired a gun in her home that night. Then came the photo lineup. But here's the problem: it was never recorded. The officer conducting the identification procedure failed to document the moment Myleka allegedly picked Tray out of a lineup. Instead, the recording only begins after the fact. We hear the officer ask: "Now I just showed you a photo lineup and you picked someone out. Who did you pick?" The witness identification is one of the most critical moments in any criminal investigation. A recorded lineup protects both the witness and the accused. It prevents suggestion. It prevents influence. It creates an objective record of exactly what happened. This didn't happen. And the witness who couldn't identify Tray two interviews earlier suddenly could identify him in a process that was never documented. This is Part Six of Traveontaye Berry's story: 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2013, 16-year-old Traveontaye Berry was arrested for the murder of Carl Green Jr. in Freeport, Illinois — a crime Trae has always maintained he did not commit. In Part Five of 52 Years in Just 2 Hours, we hear a crucial moment in the investigation as police bring the two eyewitnesses together. Their accounts of what happened that night do not match. Now, investigators put them in the same room in an attempt to resolve those differences — and, in particular, to get one of the witnesses to change her version of events. We hear what happens when the women come face-to-face, what police are trying to establish, and what the encounter reveals about the evidence that would eventually be used against Trae. This is Part Five of Traveontaye Berry's story, 52 Years in Just 2 Hours. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The police interview with Myleka Avery continues — and by the end of it, her account of the night Carl Green Jr. was murdered has changed significantly. In Part 4 of 52 Years in Just 2 Hours, Myleka now tells investigators that the shooter had actually been inside her home, firing from the kitchen towards the outside. But despite placing the shooter inside the apartment, she continues to maintain that she doesn't know who he was. As the interview continues, another significant admission emerges. Myleka tells police she had hidden a second bullet casing — meaning she had now admitted to concealing two pieces of potential evidence connected to the shooting. With Myleka's account having shifted during questioning, investigators return to the interview room with the first witness, Mikelle Brown, as they continue building the case that would ultimately see 16-year-old Traveontaye Berry convicted of murder and sentenced to 52 years in prison. Trae maintains that he did not kill Carl Green Jr. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As police investigated the murder of Carl Green Jr., they interviewed Myleka Avery, one of the women inside the Freeport apartment that 16-year-old Traveontaye Berry ran from shortly before his arrest. In Part 3 of 52 Years in Just 2 Hours, we hear Myleka's police interview and her account of what happened inside the apartment that night. Like her flatmate Mikelle Brown, Myleka's account evolves as the interview progresses. Investigators question her about who had been inside the apartment, what she had seen and what happened in the chaotic moments surrounding the shooting. But as the questioning continues, the interview takes an important turn. Myleka eventually admits that she had concealed evidence connected to the case. We hear that admission in her own words and examine what it meant for the investigation that would ultimately lead to Traveontaye Berry being convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 52 years in prison. Trae maintains that he did not kill Carl Green Jr. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After 16-year-old Traveontaye Berry was arrested for the murder of Carl Green Jr. in Freeport, Illinois, police began interviewing people who were inside a nearby home on the night of the shooting. One of those witnesses was Mikelle Brown. In Part 2 of 52 Years in Just 2 Hours, we hear Mikelle's police interview and examine what she told investigators in the hours after the murder. During the interview, Mikelle says she believes multiple people had run through the house that night — an account that officers question and ultimately appear to dismiss as they try to establish who was there and what happened. We also hear Mikelle say she doesn't know Trae, something Trae disputes. He says he knew both of the girls who were inside the house that night. As the investigation into Carl Green Jr.'s murder begins to take shape, we hear the evidence as police heard it and start examining the accounts that would become important in the case against Traveontaye Berry. Trae maintains that he did not kill Carl Green Jr. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Traveontaye Berry was just 16 years old when he was arrested for the murder of Carl Green Jr. in Freeport, Illinois. Trae says he did not commit the crime. He would later be convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 52 years in prison. But before the arrest, the trial and the decades-long prison sentence, Trae was a kid being raised by his mother and grandmother who dreamed of one day playing professional football. In Part 1 of 52 Years in Just 2 Hours, Trae takes Jack back through his childhood — the people who raised him, the influence of his older cousins, hanging around the wrong crowd and the trouble that eventually saw him spend time in juvenile detention. He talks about his dreams of playing football and why he eventually walked away from the sport, before taking us through the events of the night that would change the course of his life forever. By the end of that night, Carl Green Jr. had been shot and killed and 16-year-old Traveontaye Berry was under arrest for his murder. Trae has maintained that he was not the person who killed Carl Green Jr. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today I catch up with Tariq MaQbool, a man who was once looking at life behind bars with no way of getting home. However a recent commutation by the governor means that he could be going home in just four years time. However the fight is not over, Tariq is in a battle with the system on multiple fronts and he's not going to give up. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We recently covered the story of Christopher Bennette, a man convicted for murder, the murder of his abuser. Chris has spent decades fighting his conviction after being convinced to take a plea deal of 1800 years behind bars. Chris's story went viral during COVID after a friend uploaded it online. The producers of the hit daytime TV show Dr Phil saw his story and had him on the show to talk to the doctor. Chris says the only good thing to come out of that show was the lady who has become the love of his life and his biggest advocate on the outside and today I sit down for a chat with Chris's other half. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today I catch up with a man who I'm asked about regularly. David Talley was handed a sentence fit for a murderer yet no one in his case died, no one was even harmed yet he was condemned to die behind bars. David has spent years fighting to get a resentencing hearing in his case without any luck. At the end of the day when it comes to the 'Justice System' it's all about money. If you want help it doesn't come cheap and so far David hasn't had enough money to get the help he needs. Recently I got word that a relative of David's who came into some inheritance had come forward and said they wanted to use some of that to help him in his situation. So now David has money and an attorney who believes he can get David back in front of a judge. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As One Minute Remaining is set to tunr four I had an oppotnity recently to reflect on the last four years and how much this show has evolved and changed as have I. Four years ago I set out to make an interesting podcast about teh Amercian criminal justice system with stories from those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. I could never have known how it would change or change me! Recently on a call with Tony Duke I realised just how much both of those things have happened over the last four years. So this episode is a bit different to the norm! Just a case of thank you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today I catch up with Dwight Bergeron a man who has been incarcerated in the state of Louisiana for 34 years for a crime his supposed victims say never happened. Earlier this year another man who had been sitting on Louisianas death row for 30 years was exonerated, could this mans case hold the key to getting Dwight back into court? SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the summer of 2003, in the small Virginia town of Craigsville, an 18 year old boy shot and killed the man the town knew as a former rescue squad captain and a pillar of the community. Christopher Bennett never denied it. He confessed, took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, and was handed three consecutive life sentences totalling 1,800 years. But behind that front door, Chris and his siblings say, was a man the town never saw. Years of abuse. Children told to pray for help that never came. And a report of what was happening to his little sisters, made just one day before the shooting. Over this series, Jack chats with Chris from inside Buckingham Correctional Center about his childhood, that night, the sentence designed to outlive him, and a family still fighting to bring him home. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christopher Bennett is serving three consecutive life sentences totalling 1,800 years for killing his stepfather, Vincent McDorman. More than two decades later, Chris answers a confronting question: if he could go back and stop himself from committing the crime, would he? In the final part of No One Was Coming, Jack speaks with Chris from inside Buckingham Correctional Center about the life he has lived since entering prison as a teenager and how he views the decisions he made in July 2003 today. Chris reflects on his sentence, his family, the years he has spent behind bars and whether he has regrets about what happened that night. And when asked whether, knowing everything he knows now, he would stop his 18-year-old self from killing Vincent McDorman, Chris gives an answer that brings his story full circle. This is the final part of No One Was Coming: The Christopher Bennett Story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christopher Bennett says his own defence lawyers weren't planning to present a defence after he was charged with killing his stepfather, Vincent McDorman. Facing the possibility of the death penalty, Chris was instead being pushed towards a plea agreement. In Part 6 of No One Was Coming, Chris describes what he says was happening behind the scenes as his case moved towards court and why he came to believe that going to trial was never really an option. He recalls his defence team's approach to the case, what was said in court, and the pressure he faced as an 18-year-old deciding whether to risk the death penalty or accept a deal that would ensure he spent the rest of his life in prison. Christopher ultimately accepted the plea agreement and received three consecutive life sentences — a sentence totalling 1,800 years. This is Part 6 of No One Was Coming: The Christopher Bennett Story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christopher Bennett was facing the death penalty for killing his stepfather, Vincent McDorman. Now represented by court-appointed lawyers, Chris says the 18-year-old was confronted with two possible outcomes: spend the rest of his life in prison or risk being sentenced to death. In Part 5 of No One Was Coming, the focus turns to Christopher's defence and the legal strategy being developed as his case moved towards court. Chris describes his relationship with his attorneys, what they told him about the case against him, and the enormous pressure of making decisions that would determine whether he lived or died. The path being laid out would ultimately lead Chris towards a plea agreement — and a sentence of three consecutive life terms totalling 1,800 years. This is Part 5 of No One Was Coming: The Christopher Bennett Story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After shooting and killing his stepfather, Vincent McDorman, 18-year-old Christopher Bennett was questioned by police in Virginia and confessed to the killing. In Part 4, we hear how the police interrogation unfolded and what Chris told investigators. With Vincent McDorman dead and Chris now in police custody, attention turned from what happened inside the family home to the criminal investigation and the case being built against him. Chris takes Jack through his memories of the police interrogation, his confession and the decisions he made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting — decisions that would ultimately lead towards a plea deal and three consecutive life sentences totalling 1,800 years. This is Part 4 of No One Was Coming: The Christopher Bennett Story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In July 2003, 18-year-old Christopher Bennett shot and killed his stepfather, Vincent McDorman, in Craigsville, Virginia. In Part 3, Chris describes in his own words what happened inside the house and the events that led to the shooting. Chris says he had become increasingly concerned about what was happening to his younger sisters inside the family home. After years of alleged abuse and failed attempts to get help, events reached a breaking point. In this episode, Chris takes Jack through that night — what he says he discovered, the confrontation that followed, and the moment he picked up a rifle and shot Vincent McDorman. This is Part 3 of No One Was Coming: The Christopher Bennett Story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christopher Bennett and his siblings say they endured years of abuse inside their Virginia family home at the hands of their stepfather, Vincent McDorman. Chris says what was happening to his younger sister would ultimately lead to the events of July 2003. In Part 2 of No One Was Coming, Chris takes us inside his childhood and describes the man he says existed behind closed doors — very different from the former rescue squad captain and pillar of the community known around Craigsville. Chris talks about the abuse he and his siblings allege they suffered, the attempts to get help, and the events that were building towards the night he would eventually shoot and kill his stepfather. This is Part 2 of the Christopher Bennett story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the summer of 2003, in the small Virginia town of Craigsville, 18-year-old Christopher Bennett shot and killed his stepfather, Vincent McDorman. Christopher never denied killing him. He confessed, took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, and was handed three consecutive life sentences totalling 1,800 years. But behind that front door, Chris and his siblings say, was a man the town never saw. Years of abuse. Children told to pray for help that never came. And a report of what was happening to his little sisters, made just one day before the shooting. Over this series, Jack chats with Chris from inside Buckingham Correctional Center about his childhood, that night, the sentence designed to outlive him, and a family still fighting to bring him home. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This series contains discussion of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. Australia 1800RESPECT (sexual assault and domestic violence, 24/7): 1800 737 732 Blue Knot Foundation (adult survivors of childhood trauma): 1300 657 380 Bravehearts (child sexual abuse support): 1800 272 831 Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25, 24/7): 1800 55 1800 Lifeline (crisis support, 24/7): 13 11 14 United States Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (24/7): 1-800-422-4453 RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7): 1-800-656-4673 National Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24/7): call or text 988 United Kingdom NSPCC Helpline (adults concerned about a child): 0808 800 5000 Childline (for anyone under 19, 24/7): 0800 1111 NAPAC (adult survivors of childhood abuse): 0808 801 0331 Rape Crisis England and Wales (24/7): 0808 500 2222 Samaritans (24/7): 116 123 International For domestic violence services in other countries, visit hotpeachpages.net for a directory of helplines and agencies worldwide. If a child is in immediate danger, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We recently covered the story of Kelly Nichols, who was accused of creating child pornography involving her own two daughters. Those two girls, now grown women, have said that nothing happened, that they had a wonderful childhood, and that they felt nothing but love and safety. Throughout their parents' trial, and the sentencing and appeal hearings that followed, they were referred to as 'the victims'. Yet both have said that the only thing they are victims of is the system itself. A system that claimed to be fighting for them, but would not listen to a word they had to say. Today, they finally get the chance to have a voice, and to set the record straight about their parents in their own words. Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly and Doug Nichols and their two daughters are, seemingly, your normal all-American family. Kelly grew up on a farm in rural Illinois; she has a strong faith and even stronger family values. She and Doug met when the pair were in their early twenties, dated for four years, and then got married. Doug worked in IT, while Kelly enjoyed a long and happy career as a dental hygienist, respected and loved by her patients and by the community. As the family grew, they did all the things young, busy families do. They went on adventures and holidays, the girls played sports, and they attended church every Sunday. And, like almost all families, they documented the years through pictures and videos, especially of their two young daughters. Treasured family memories. Memories that would one day land them both in prison, arrested, tried and convicted of possessing and producing child pornography. It all started when allegations were made against Kelly's husband, Doug. Allegations he denies. Allegations we cannot go into, as they are still making their way through the court system. These allegations had nothing to do with Kelly, but they would be the catalyst for what came next. As part of the complaint, the person making the allegations told police that if they took Doug's phone and computer, they would find evidence to back up her claims. So they did. But they found nothing. What they did find, however, while searching through the computer and phone, was those very family memories: thousands of pictures and videos of the two kids. As police went through the files, they said they found what they deemed to be images and videos of a sexual nature. They took what they had found to a grand jury, and very quickly this supposedly normal all-American family were having their lives dissected and pulled apart online, their faces plastered across the internet under headlines like "Decatur Couple Arrested on Child Porn and Sex Charges." This is a case where we can truly say: it could happen to you. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rob Rosen is a veteran investigative journalist with more than thirty years of experience. He was the Executive Producer, creator, and showrunner of the investigative, true-crime series Reasonable Doubt a show thats had featured a few of the men and women that we have spoke to on One Minute Reamining. Rob has just released his new book Crimes of Omission Exposing why the media refused to tell the whole truth about the anti-police movement. Truth is supposed to be a journalist’s north star. But during the 2010s, the fourth estate lost its way, abandoning reporting for straight-up activism. In Crimes of Omission, Rob will reveal the full story of the high-profile cases of law enforcement violence that rocked the world. Through dozens of exclusive interviews, this book transports readers inside the nation’s most influential newsrooms at those crucial moments when the people we trust to inform us chose instead to mislead and inflame. Crimes of omission aren’t about what is reported—they’re about what’s left out. Discover the disastrous decisions that ripped a nation apart and shattered the credibility of a once noble profession—and prepare to question everything you thought was true. He joins me today for a chat about some of the cases we have both covered, those that left a lasting impression and of course his new book which you can get here SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Well, here we are at the end of our journey through the United States, but not before we do one last important thing, and that's finally meet a man whose story we started telling three years ago. When I first decided to head to the US, I knew that I wanted to get inside a prison to be able to shake hands with someone whose story had affected me a lot. Now, of course, that list isn't short, but right near the top of that list was the story of Tariq Maqbool. From the very first letter we connected, and from there our friendship has grown, and we have been on quite the journey with Tariq. So my last stop on my trip was to New York City, just across the water from New Jersey. Tariq was being held in East Jersey State Prison, a prison that has stood since the 1800s, and today was the day I was going inside its walls. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Todays episode is again vastly different and more of a vlog of my travels to Chicargo and arriving in NYC. I hope you're enjoying these very dofferent episodes to what we normally do! we will return to a brand new case very soon. In today's episode we fly from Louisiana to Chicago to visit the Voice of Reason. Things get off to a shaky start due to a severe storm and a missed connection, but we soon make it to town. Michael picks me up from my hotel and we take a drive through Chicago, head to his office to record, then it's on to another podcast recording with a show he moonlights on, before the ultimate all American experience as we head to a baseball game. After my short visit with Michael, it's back on a plane and off to the Big Apple, where I get myself prepared for my first ever visit to a prison to visit Tariq Maqbool. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today is the final episode of my time in Louisiana, brought here by the story of Dwight Bergeron, a man who had his life taken from him for a crime he has always maintained he is innocent of — but of course, as you know by now, he isn't the only one who says he's innocent. Louisiana was the first official stop on my tour after a quick visit to Las Vegas. It was my first time visiting a family whose story I had featured, a family that has had a truly traumatic life. A mother and father sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit, four children who were used and manipulated by adults to put them there, and who have spent the past three decades trying to right that wrong. And although their mother is now home, and has been for some time after having been scared into taking a deal, Dwight, the main focus of our series, is still incarcerated, and at this point will be for potentially the remainder of his life unless the system that placed him there sees sense to take another look at this case. So when this story was first brought to me, I was extremely sceptical. If you just take the headline of this case and what these parents were accused of, it makes your skin crawl. When I first started this series four years ago, I was often asked if there was anyone I wouldn't talk to, and my answer was always the same. Yes, anyone accused of a crime against a child, especially if that crime was sexual in nature, and this one was quite possibly as bad as it gets. However, there was one thing that changed my mind: a letter, a letter written by a young girl, now a woman, a woman pleading for help, pleading to be heard, pleading for her father's life. When I first took on the story, I was told that although Becky was absolutely on board with the telling of the story and me exposing everything that had been done in order to get her parents convicted, she personally did not want to take part and be interviewed for the series. Becky has spent the better part of over 30 years telling and retelling this story, mainly to multiple sets of lawyers. She has lived with the guilt of her parents' conviction basically her entire life. The subject matter and story are not only traumatic to relive but also embarrassing, people, as we all know, can be cruel and highly judgmental. And now, a woman with children of her own, as much as she wants to get her father home and clear her parents' names, she also has her own mental health and her children's lives to consider, and she understandably didn't want to be placed into the spotlight of the story. During the telling of Dwight's case, Becky and I spoke a couple of times via Facebook messaging. I had a few questions and points I wanted to clarify, and she was always more than happy to help, but that's as far as it went. However, when she found out that I was thinking about making one of my stops on my trip Louisiana, she told Janet, Dwight's partner, that she would like the opportunity to meet with me, and of course I was very happy for the opportunity. So after our visit to Angola that evening, we headed off for a Chinese meal and a chat with Becky. The following day it was time to leave, but before I did, Janet, Dwight's partner and biggest advocate for the past 14 years, wanted to clear the air and release the names publicly of those still alive who she says know what happened in this case and know that Dwight is an innocent man. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome back to my first ever trip to the United States! In today's episode I head out in the car with the partner of Dwight Bergeron to make the over 2 hour drive to the Angola State Prison. Along the way I read more files from the case against Dwight, mostly the files made by the child psychologist who spent countless hours with the children in the lead up to Dwight's trial. After the trial, well, it all just stopped, but why? Once we make it to Angola, although we can't go inside, we do have a very sobering experience walking through the prison's museum which sits just outside the front gates. I step inside a replica cell, see relics from past prison escapes, check out a wide variety of incredibly terrifying prison made weapons and come face to face with Old Sparky. The electric chair that saw the death of 87 prisoners. This was certainly a very sobering experience. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In today's episode we pick up the story of my trip to the United States, just prior to me heading off. The plan for the trip is to hopefully get myself into at least one prison facility, and it looks like the only one I even have a shot at getting into is the East Jersey State Prison, which is currently housing Tariq Maqbool, so I jump on the phone with his cousin who is set to help me get through the gates. Once we have that sorted it's time to officially kick off the trip as I head to Sydney for the first ever Australian Audio Awards, where, well, I have a slight equipment issue before making my way to the bright lights of Vegas to attend the annual CrimeCon convention and for another award nomination. I find myself on a table of heavy hitters and get lost... a lot! After my stop in Vegas it's then time to make my way to the state of Louisiana to find out more about the case of Dwight Bergeron. So don't forget to pack your toothbrush! It's time for our first trip Stateside. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
So I am currently doing my mini tour of the USA where I am stopping in Las Vegas, Louisana, Chicargo and New York. Today we have made it to Chicargo where I am spending the day with the man they call the Voice of Reason, Michael Leonard. Michael has been with me on this ride since our very first case and has become your favourite as he disects the cases we find and gives us his expert opinion as a lawyer of over 35 years. Today we are not talking about an OMR case instead we are taking your questions. Before I left for the USA I posted in the OMR facebook group asking for your questions and so here they are! Hope you enjoy! SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We recently wrapped up the stories of Tasha Shelby and Marsha Mills, two women who are facing the rest of their lives behind bars because of what we now know as 'Junk science'. These cases are so similar its scary! No other evidence suggests they had anything to do with the deaths of the children in these cases, nothing excpet the word of so called experts and in the case of Tasha Shelby even the expert says he got it wrong. As we do after each case we sit down with Michael Leonard 'The Voice of Reason' to find out what he thinks of what he has heard, will he belive in their innocence or has he heard something I missed? Lets find out in our first ever in person case discution. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I first sat down with Dusty when he was still inside a Virginia prison, more than three decades into an 82 year sentence for the 1995 murder of Jennifer Evans in Virginia Beach. It's a crime he has always said he did not commit, and one his Navy SEAL swim buddy, Billy Joe Brown, later confessed to carrying out alone. Since that first interview, we've followed every twist. The historic 3 to 2 parole board vote in January. The morning of 5 March 2026, when Dusty finally walked out of Greensville Correctional Center after 30 years and seven months inside. And then, just seven weeks later, the news none of us were expecting: on 21 April, Virginia State Police arrested Dusty and booked him back into Middle River Regional Jail on an alleged parole violation, with his attorney saying the issue came down to two relationships he had not formally disclosed to his parole officer. In this episode, I speak with Dusty from behind bars about what actually happened, how it felt to lose his freedom again so soon after gaining it, and what his legal team was doing to get him out. Then, after the Virginia Parole Board issued a notice on 14 May ordering his release, I catch up with him once more on the outside to find out where things stand now, what the past few weeks have done to him, and what comes next in a fight that, even after 31 years, is still not finished. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Shaken Baby Syndrome was considered medical fact. When doctors found subdural bleeding, retinal hemorrhages, and brain swelling - the so-called "triad" - the diagnosis was automatic: violent abuse. This medical certainty sent hundreds of people to prison, including Tasha Shelby and Marsha Mills - two women whose cases we've been following throughout this series. Both convicted based solely on expert testimony that claimed their guilt was scientifically undeniable. But was it? Professor Keith Findley joins us to examine the evolution of SBS science. As co-founder of the Wisconsin Innocence Project and co-author of the definitive Cambridge University Press book "Shaken Baby Syndrome: Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy," Professor Findley has spent decades studying how medical assumptions became legal fact - and how that "fact" has been systematically challenged by modern research. We explore how birth trauma, medical conditions, and even short falls can mimic the signs once thought exclusive to violent shaking. We examine why 34 people have been exonerated from SBS convictions as courts slowly recognize the diagnosis is unreliable. And we discuss why cases like Tasha's and Marsha's represent a much broader crisis in forensic medicine. From the biomechanics of infant injury to the legal standards that allowed flawed science into courtrooms, Professor Findley explains how medical overconfidence created a generation of wrongful convictions - and what it will take to prevent future injustices when science masquerades as certainty. The triad that once seemed unshakeable has been shaken to its core. But for those already convicted, scientific progress may have come too late. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Shaken Baby Syndrome was considered medical fact. When doctors found subdural bleeding, retinal hemorrhages, and brain swelling - the so-called "triad" - the diagnosis was automatic: violent abuse. This medical certainty sent hundreds of people to prison, including Tasha Shelby and Marsha Mills - two women whose cases we've been following throughout this series. Both convicted based solely on expert testimony that claimed their guilt was scientifically undeniable. But was it? Professor Keith Findley joins us to examine the evolution of SBS science. As co-founder of the Wisconsin Innocence Project and co-author of the definitive Cambridge University Press book "Shaken Baby Syndrome: Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy," Professor Findley has spent decades studying how medical assumptions became legal fact - and how that "fact" has been systematically challenged by modern research. We explore how birth trauma, medical conditions, and even short falls can mimic the signs once thought exclusive to violent shaking. We examine why 34 people have been exonerated from SBS convictions as courts slowly recognize the diagnosis is unreliable. And we discuss why cases like Tasha's and Marsha's represent a much broader crisis in forensic medicine. From the biomechanics of infant injury to the legal standards that allowed flawed science into courtrooms, Professor Findley explains how medical overconfidence created a generation of wrongful convictions - and what it will take to prevent future injustices when science masquerades as certainty. The triad that once seemed unshakeable has been shaken to its core. But for those already convicted, scientific progress may have come too late. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When I found out One Minute Remaining had been nominated for Outstanding Episodic Series at the 2026 CrimeCon Clue Awards in Las Vegas — the only international nominee across the entire awards — I had about five minutes to feel good about it before the chaos began. Getting to Vegas from Australia isn’t just a matter of booking a flight. There’s a media visa to apply for, a trip to the US Embassy in Sydney, prison visit requests to file with corrections departments in two states, unanswered emails, rejections. This is the episode where I take you behind the scenes of what it actually takes to do this job. The bureaucracy, the knock backs, the paperwork, the moments where you wonder why you ever left radio and the moments that remind you exactly why you did. Photo by Tim Mossholder SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After losing her husband Mike, fifty-five-year-old Marsha Mills found purpose in caring for her two beloved granddaughters and occasionally watching Evan and Noah Shoup, toddlers from her daughter's best friend's family. On May 10th, 2006, that love would destroy her life. After feeding lunch to the four children, Marsha took them outside to play. With her infant granddaughter in her arms, she turned to close the back door when two-year-old Noah fell from the porch to the concrete patio below. The child was unconscious. Marsha moved him inside, called his father, and waited for emergency workers while caring for three other frightened children. When Noah died the next day, Marsha was charged with murder. The case against her was built on medical opinion, not evidence. Detective Larry Hootman, who first investigated the scene, testified it was a "freak accident." He was removed from the case. Detective Michael Goodwin used ultraviolet imaging throughout Marsha's house but found no substances or evidence of violence. No physical evidence. No weapon. No motive. But Dr. Daryl Steiner of Akron Children's Hospital had an opinion. Based on Noah's injuries, Steiner testified the child had been abused. The prosecution's medical examiner agreed, using a doll to demonstrate how Marsha allegedly slammed the toddler repeatedly against surfaces. The defense fought back with science. Biomechanical engineer Dr. Chris VanEe built a replica of Marsha's back porch and used crash test dummies to prove a fall down the steps could cause fatal injuries. Forensic pathologist Dr. John Plunkett testified that Noah's death was "probably accidental" and consistent with Marsha's account. Two experts saying accident. Two saying murder. The jury chose to believe the prosecutors. After five hours of deliberation, they found Marsha Mills guilty of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after fifteen years. She remains behind bars today, a grandmother whose only crime was caring for children who weren't her own. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On New Year's Eve 2011, a landscaper named Ronald Hauser was found shot dead in the basement of his home in Livingston County, Michigan. A month later, police came knocking on the door of one of Ron's friends, a man named Anthony Duke. Tony was arrested, charged, and in 2015 convicted of murder. He has maintained his innocence ever since. Tony Duke is now serving life without the possibility of parole. Under Michigan law, that sentence means exactly what it says -- there is no parole date, no automatic review, no mechanism for release. The only path out runs through the Governor's office, and it is a path that very few people ever reach the end of. In this episode we catch up with Tony, who recently appeared before the Michigan Parole Board for what is known as a commutation initial -- a formal hearing that is, for people in Tony's situation, one of the rarest and most significant steps in a process that offers very little. We talk through what that meeting means, what came back from the Board, and what the road ahead looks like from inside a Michigan prison cell. We also examine the broader landscape of clemency in Michigan -- who gets it, who doesn't, and why the final stretch of a governor's time in office has historically been the window that matters most for people who have run out of any other options. Tony Duke's case has never stopped raising questions. How to contact Governor Whitmer about Tony Duke's case There are three ways to reach the Governor's office directly. Online contact form (easiest option) The Governor's office has a contact form at michigan.gov/whitmer/contact -- you can use this to write directly to the office and share their thoughts on Tony's case. By phone Constituent Services: (517) 335-7858 Main office: (517) 373-3400 By post Governor Gretchen Whitmer P.O. Box 30013 Lansing, Michigan 48909 Tips for anyone writing in: A letter or message to the Governor's office in support of a clemency case is most effective when it is brief, respectful, and specific. You don't need legal expertise, you just need to be genuine. A few things worth including: Tony's full name: Anthony Duke That he is currently incarcerated in Michigan serving a life without parole sentence That he has appeared before the Michigan Parole Board for a commutation initial Why you believe his case deserves the Governor's attention -- whether that is concern about the original conviction, evidence of Tony's character, or simply a belief that the case warrants a closer look Keep it to one page if writing by post. If using the online form, a few clear, considered paragraphs is plenty. The Governor's office does read correspondence on clemency cases -- volume of letters on a specific case does register. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After losing her husband Mike, fifty-five-year-old Marsha Mills found purpose in caring for her two beloved granddaughters and occasionally watching Evan and Noah Shoup, toddlers from her daughter's best friend's family. On May 10th, 2006, that love would destroy her life. After feeding lunch to the four children, Marsha took them outside to play. With her infant granddaughter in her arms, she turned to close the back door when two-year-old Noah fell from the porch to the concrete patio below. The child was unconscious. Marsha moved him inside, called his father, and waited for emergency workers while caring for three other frightened children. When Noah died the next day, Marsha was charged with murder. The case against her was built on medical opinion, not evidence. Detective Larry Hootman, who first investigated the scene, testified it was a "freak accident." He was removed from the case. Detective Michael Goodwin used ultraviolet imaging throughout Marsha's house but found no substances or evidence of violence. No physical evidence. No weapon. No motive. But Dr. Daryl Steiner of Akron Children's Hospital had an opinion. Based on Noah's injuries, Steiner testified the child had been abused. The prosecution's medical examiner agreed, using a doll to demonstrate how Marsha allegedly slammed the toddler repeatedly against surfaces. The defense fought back with science. Biomechanical engineer Dr. Chris VanEe built a replica of Marsha's back porch and used crash test dummies to prove a fall down the steps could cause fatal injuries. Forensic pathologist Dr. John Plunkett testified that Noah's death was "probably accidental" and consistent with Marsha's account. Two experts saying accident. Two saying murder. The jury chose to believe the prosecutors. After five hours of deliberation, they found Marsha Mills guilty of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after fifteen years. She remains behind bars today, a grandmother whose only crime was caring for children who weren't her own. SIGNAL AWARDS 2026 VOTE NOW xx EARLY AND AD FREE ACCESS: for as little as $1.69 a week! Apple + HERE Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.