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The physical evidence is now overwhelming. Columbus police confirmed the murder weapon was recovered from Dr. Michael McKee's Chicago penthouse eleven days after Spencer and Monique Tepe were shot dead in their Columbus home. NIBIN matched shell casings from the bedroom to a firearm seized from his residence. Multiple weapons were recovered. His alibi collapsed before his arrest. ATF picked him up at a Chick-fil-A seven minutes from the hospital where he worked overnight shifts. Surveillance footage places him near the Tepe home during the murder window. Police labeled this a "targeted domestic violence attack."But the...

The Brendan Banfield trial is building toward its climax, and day three delivered evidence that cuts through every defense narrative. Fairfax County detectives showed jurors what they found when they returned to the Banfield home eight months after Christine's death: fresh wood flooring where blood-soaked carpet used to be, new furniture throughout the master bedroom, and photographs of Brendan with au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães sitting on the nightstand where pictures of Brendan and Christine once belonged.Detective Terry Leach walked the jury through graphic crime scene photographs of Joseph Ryan's body—blood covering his face, han...

Columbus police finally spoke. Sixteen days after Spencer and Monique Tepe were found shot dead, Chief Elaine Bryant confirmed investigators have a preliminary ballistic link between firearms recovered from Dr. Michael McKee's property and the murder scene. The connection came through NIBIN—the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network—which matches bullets and casings to weapons across federal databases.Attorney Eric Faddis explains what "preliminary" means in this context and how significant ballistics evidence becomes when combined with surveillance footage and vehicle records already tying McKee to the scene. Police have labeled this a targeted domestic violence attack. The...

The Nick Reiner case just took a turn nobody predicted. Alan Jackson—the attorney who defended Michael Jackson's doctor and built a reputation on high-stakes trials—withdrew from representing Nick Reiner while publicly declaring him "not guilty of murder" under California law. He told reporters to take that statement "to the bank." Then he told the judge he's "legally and ethically prohibited" from explaining his departure. What did he find?The answer sits in sealed documents nobody outside that courtroom can access. A confidential medical order. Ten subpoenas Jackson's team issued before withdrawing—a list the judge has ex...

It's official. The South Carolina Supreme Court has set February 11th, 2026, as the date for oral arguments in Alex Murdaugh's appeal. And the timing couldn't be more significant.Just two months ago, former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill pled guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice, and two counts of misconduct in office. She admitted to lying under oath at the very hearing that denied Murdaugh a new trial. Now his attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to add her guilty plea to the appeal record — arguing that if she lied about one thing under oath, he...

Today on True Crime Today, we're examining two cases that demand accountability—one from a jury, one from an institution—with former felony prosecutor turned defense attorney Eric Faddis. In Columbus, Dr. Michael McKee faces aggravated murder charges for allegedly executing Monique Tepe and Richard Tepe in their home while their children slept feet away. Police recovered what they say is the murder weapon from McKee's Chicago apartment eleven days later. His alibi reportedly collapsed. But McKee has resources and a defense team looking for every weakness. Faddis breaks down what prosecutors must prove and where the defense will atta...

Today on True Crime Today, we're examining what may be the most painful aspect of the Reiner case—how a family's ability to perceive danger can erode over time until the unthinkable feels normal. Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins us to break down the family dynamics that allegedly led Rob and Michele Reiner to go to sleep on December 13th, 2025, in the same house with their son Nick—hours after watching him behave erratically at a holiday party. Robin spent 21 years with the FBI, including serving as Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, and he sp...

Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.<p...

Nick Barreiro, Audio/Video Forensic Analyst, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.</p...

Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.<p...

Bryan Kohberger was a teaching assistant at Washington State University when he allegedly stalked, harassed, and terrorized women on campus. At least 13 formal complaints were filed against him. Staff created informal "911" alerts to warn each other when he was around. Women requested security escorts just to avoid interactions with him. One professor allegedly predicted that if WSU gave Kohberger a PhD, they'd hear about him harassing and sexually abusing students down the road. None of it stopped him. On November 13, 2022, Kohberger drove eight miles to Moscow, Idaho, and murdered Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Now...

Breaking down the latest in the Nick Reiner case. TMZ's Harvey Levin went on record saying the Rob and Michele Reiner crime scene had "all the markings of a meth murder" and that Nick was allegedly using meth after his medication was changed. The violence reportedly shocked experienced investigators. So what's really going on here?On True Crime Today, we examine the publicly reported evidence: Nick Reiner's documented history of stimulant abuse from his own podcast appearances, the clinical research on what happens when schizoaffective disorder meets methamphetamine use, and why forensic experts say overkill violence often...

Harry Lidsky, Digital Forensic Examiner, took the stand in the murder trial of Brendan Banfield, the former IRS agent charged with four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of his wife Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan. Prosecutors allege Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, lured Ryan to their Herndon home through a fetish website and staged the killings as a home invasion.The defense argues digital forensics contradict the catfishing theory and that investigators who disagreed were reassigned. Banfield faces life without parole if convicted. The four-week trial continues in Fairfax County.<p...

The prosecution's case against Michael McKee looks overwhelming—until you examine it from the defense table. Yes, police say they found the murder weapon in his apartment. Yes, his alibi reportedly failed. Yes, family members describe an obsession with his ex-wife Monique Tepe that lasted eight years after their divorce. But McKee's defense team sees opportunities prosecutors don't want to acknowledge. Today on True Crime Today, criminal defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks down exactly how McKee's attorneys might attack the state's case in the Tepe double murder. Faddis is a former felony prosecutor who switched sides and has...

Two bombshells dropped on Day 7 of the Brendan Banfield double murder trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.First, the defense landed a significant blow. Homicide Detective Leah Smith testified that leadership pushed the catfishing theory before evidence supported it. According to Smith, she was told: "There are two theories and you need to get behind the right one." Defense attorney John Carroll revealed a forensic analyst was removed from the case after theorizing that Christine Banfield — not Brendan — was communicating with Joseph Ryan on the fetish website FetLife. The defense argues investigators had tunnel vision from the start.<p...

Michael McKee allegedly drove 400 miles in the middle of the night carrying a suppressed firearm to murder his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer while their children slept down the hall. Now he sits in an Ohio jail facing four counts of aggravated murder — and based on everything we know about his behavioral patterns, he probably still believes he can beat this case.In this deep-dive opinion piece, I examine the psychology of a man who has demonstrated a lifelong pattern of avoiding accountability. A man who allegedly evaded service on a malpractice lawsuit nine times. A...

Monique Tepe and Richard Tepe were shot to death in their Columbus home while their children slept nearby. Eleven days later, police say they found the murder weapon in the Chicago apartment of Monique's ex-husband—Dr. Michael McKee. Now McKee faces two counts of aggravated murder, and prosecutors appear to be building a case for premeditated execution. But how do you prove premeditation when the divorce happened eight years before the killings? When there are no eyewitnesses? When the defendant is a board-certified surgeon with no criminal history who presents well in front of a jury? Today on...

Major breaking news out of Indiana today. Judge Frances Gull—the special judge who presided over Richard Allen's trial for the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German—has announced she is retiring from the bench after nearly three decades. Her official press release celebrates her work with veterans and Drug Court, touting her commitment to "second chances, rehabilitation, and redemption."What the press release doesn't mention is Delphi. Not a single word about the case that made her a household name in true crime circles worldwide.That silence is notable because Richard Allen's defense team...

A complete psychological examination of the Tepe murder case — perpetrator, victim, and aftermath.Psychotherapist Shavaun Scott brings over thirty years of clinical experience to analyze every dimension of this devastating case. She's worked in forensic settings, domestic violence programs, and trauma recovery. She's the author of "The Minds of Mass Killers." And she's a survivor of domestic abuse herself.We examine the alleged perpetrator psychology. Michael McKee apparently couldn't let go for eight years after a seven-month relationship. He never remarried. Prosecutors allege he drove six hours, entered the Tepe home without forced entry, shot bo...

Today on True Crime Today, we're examining one of the most consequential decisions in the Nick Reiner case—one that happened four years before Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death. Nick was placed under an LPS mental health conservatorship in 2020, overseen by licensed fiduciary Steven Baer. Baer wasn't family. He wasn't emotionally invested. He was a professional whose entire job is managing people who can't manage themselves. And yet that conservatorship ended after just one year. It wasn't renewed. Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins us to analyze how someone manipulates their way out of pr...