In January 2001, Tara Louise Baker, a 23-year-old University of Georgia law student, was found dead in her Athens apartment after a fire that investigators quickly determined was no accident. Tara had been sexually assaulted, beaten, strangled, and stabbed. The fire came after — an apparent attempt to erase what happened inside that apartment.For more than twenty years, her case lived in silence.Then, in 2023, new funding for Georgia cold cases reopened old evidence. Modern DNA testing produced a profile that led investigators to Edrick Lamont Faust. In 2024, Faust was arrested. In 2026, after a trial built largely on forensic science, he was convicted on all twelve counts.But this episode isn’t just about a verdict.It’s about what DNA can — and can’t — tell us.It’s about how cold cases move from evidence lockers to courtrooms decades later.It’s about reasonable doubt, secondary transfer, chain of custody, tunnel vision, and the quiet power of probability when everything else has faded.We walk through Tara’s life, the crime scene, the stalled investigation, the CODIS hit, the courtroom battles, and the defense’s unanswered questions — including the absence of eyewitnesses, fingerprints, surveillance, phone data, and any documented relationship between Tara and Faust.We also talk honestly about race, forensic certainty, and what it means for a Black defendant to stand trial for the murder of a young white woman in the South — especially when a case rests almost entirely on DNA.Faust was found guilty.But did the jury get it right?Or are we watching a justice system still learning how to handle science that arrives decades late?This is a story about grief and proof.About science and certainty.About what justice looks like when it finally shows up — and what it leaves behind.Because cold cases don’t just reopen files.They reopen wounds.And they force us to sit in the in between.If you like Mel's work, please support her by tipping: venmo: @melbarrettwrites You can now join the Something's Off YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

WATCH NewsLIGHT on Youtube or listen ad free at The In Between Investigator ClubIf you like Mel's work, please tip:Venmo: @melbarrettwrites (put NewsLIGHT in the description)CashApp: cash.app/$NewsLightJoin host Mel Barrett with special guests, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and producer, Maggie Freleng (Wrongful Convictions, Bone Valley Graves County, The Disappearance of Maura Murray), Broadway superstar and Podcast host, Ellyn Marsh (I Think Not!, STFU Nick Lachey), and Thomas, the guy who looks like he might vote a certain way, but surprise, he doesn't as they break down the Epstein Files and what's going on with the Save Act, which just passed the House and is on its' way to the Senate. What does the Save Act mean for YOUR voting rights?We'll discuss/debate it all and Mel's guest will share their wildest news stories of the week!

Mel is solo while Rebecca's still recovering, but don't pass up this big debate about Lana Oriani's (Truth and Transparency on YT) video positing that Michael Lank may have shown up to the scene at 34 Fairview with John O'Keefe's phone on his person. Let's discuss!Also, the Lucy Letby case, and Corri Hopkins' latest document drop. If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

In this episode of The In Between, Mel takes a deep, careful look at one of the most disturbing and contested criminal cases in modern British history: the conviction of neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.Between 2015 and 2016, a spike in infant deaths inside the neonatal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital led to a massive police investigation — and ultimately to Letby being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder others. She is now serving multiple whole-life sentences.But this story doesn’t end with a verdict.In this episode, Mel walks through the trial evidence, the medical theories presented to the jury, Lucy Letby’s handwritten notes and diaries, and the appeals that followed. We also examine new developments — including a controversial Netflix documentary and a detailed briefing paper from sixteen senior medical and scientific experts who now say Letby may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice.They argue the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, flawed statistical reasoning, and disputed medical interpretations — and that alternative explanations rooted in systemic hospital failure were ignored.So what happens when fragile newborns die inside an under-resourced unit?What happens when doctors raise alarms and administrators worry about reputation?What happens when grief meets criminal prosecution — and certainty arrives faster than science?This is not an episode about defending the indefensible.It’s about sitting in the gray.About how medicine collides with the justice system.About institutional silence, whistleblowers, and what gets lost when we turn human collapse into narrative certainty.And about Baby A — and the tiny lives caught inside a system that may have already been breaking.Listener discretion advised: this episode discusses infant death, neonatal medical emergencies, and institutional trauma.If you like Mel's work please hit up the tip jar!venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the Something's Off YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

Mel and Rebecca have A LOT to catch up on: Starting with the Norfolk County DA race, Karen Read's reply all, Kelsey Fitzsimmons motion to recuse the judge in her case, the super bowl, and a recap of Mel's bday celebrations, which were a little hindered because of a big New England blizzard!If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

Mel and Rebecca break down Michael Proctor lost his phone (AYFKM?) Who Danny Dasilva from the Lowell PD is and wtf is he doing with a 17 year-old? And have you heard about JMail? You have now. You don't want to miss this one!If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

Mel and Rebecca break down the explosive news of the week: Matthew Farwell asks the judge to change the venue AND dismiss the case against him and the judge in Aidan Kearney's witness intimidation case suggest Cosgrove sub in another prosecutor if Lindsey Gaitani takes the stand. WTAF?PLUS menopausal injuries, lotsa tangents, and what's up with the journalism debate between Turtleboy and Sue O'connell? Oh and there's also the Epstein Files, Don Lemon, and Mel teases a new show about politics.If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

We're doing a back episode this week since it's Groundhog Day! Pamela Smart has received a hearing date in late February 2026. We don't have news yet whether this will be an evidentiary hearing or just process, but Mel will keep you informed as the news comes out. Pam's attorneys feel confident that their arguments are solid and based in NH case law, so if the state of NH doesn't hear this case, it proves politics are at play once again when it comes to Pamela Smart.Stay tuned! It's going to be an interesting year!And if you like the work I do, please tip.TO LISTEN TO SEASON ONE, start here.Watch SOMETHING'S OFFJoin the Investigator Club for early and ad-free episode, bonus content, lives, and so much more!Episode Description:It's been a long road, but we're finally here. Pamela Smart's attorneys have filed a petition of Habeus Corpus asking for a new trial or at the very least resentencing and they've given me access to the petition. I've been investigating Pam's case for going on a decade and some of the work I did on the first season of The In Between Podcast became the basis for this Habeus. I'm always so proud of the work I do on The In Between Podcast, but this case has been my white whale and I'm so honored to be apart of these arguments.I want to share what I can with you, so without further adieu, here are the five points Pam's case will hinge on.PLEASE PLEASE share her story.

If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts!

Within hours of Alex Pretti being killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis, the government decided who he was.They said he was a terrorist.They said he came to kill law enforcement.They said the case was clear.But the evidence tells a very different story.Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse, a licensed gun owner, and a U.S. citizen who was filming a federal immigration enforcement operation when things escalated. Video shows him holding a phone. Witnesses say he moved toward a woman who had been shoved to the ground. Seconds later, he was dead.In this episode of The In Between, Mel Barrett breaks down what actually happened — and what happened next: how senior officials in the Trump administration rushed to declare motive, intent, and guilt before the public had access to the evidence; how the right’s long-standing claims about guns, protests, and “intent” suddenly collapsed; and how a coordinated narrative blitz turned a witness into a threat.This is not just a story about a killing.It’s a story about how the state controls the narrative after lethal force — and why some lives are explained away instead of examined.Because once the public accepts the label, the questions stop.And that’s how accountability dies.If you like Mel's work, please tip her:venmo: @melbarrettwritesYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Mel and Rebecca welcome Karen Read Dramaturge, Jimmy aka Auntie Deb, to the show to dish on all things Read adjacent and pop culture. We had a blast with Jimmy, though he does show up late. 🤣 If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your p

Mel and Rebecca discuss KAren Read updates, the Turtleboy movie, Aaron Spencer trial updates, police corruption and civil rights.If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsIf you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en...You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts0:00 Intro + Nightline/Other Updates11:20 David Yanetti + should Rebecca play poker? 25:05 Updates from the show with Maggie Freleng36:53 Karen Read updates/sidebar info 51:45 What’s up with paid commenters? 58:45 Aaron Spencer Case Info/Updates1:20:33 Police Corruption/Civil Rights Discussion1:27:16 Can we use all the bad to bring people together? 1:39:42 Discussion of politicized language/freedom of speech1:47:20 Dyson AirWrap…share the show… goodbye for now!

A new episode of Something's Off! Rebecca's back from her nude beach vacation and she's got some stories to tell!We also dive into the new release of Brian Higgins police interview and the inconsistencies we found there, Turtleboy/Young Jerks fundraiser drama, Plevin Lenihan's "bombshell," and of course, more sidebahs!This is the audio from the Something's Off YouTube presentation. If you want to watch the replay, stop by Something's Off and don't forget to engage, subscribe, and share. It helps the algorithm tremendously!If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Two people are dead.A family has been destroyed.And a seventeen-year-old girl is sitting in jail, charged as an adult and facing the possibility of life without parole.In this episode of The In Between, Mel takes a careful, evidence-forward look at the case of Sarah Grace Patrick, a Georgia teenager accused of murdering her mother and stepfather while they slept.This is not an episode about internet rumor or TikTok outrage. It’s about what we actually know, what we don’t, and how quickly narrative has replaced transparency in a case where the stakes could not be higher.Mel breaks down the known facts, the gaps in the public record, the prosecution’s likely theory, and the defense’s emerging strategy — including the role of adolescent brain development, forensic neuropsychology, and the danger of treating online behavior as evidence of guilt.She also confront the broader issues this case raises:What happens to the presumption of innocence in the age of social media?How harmful is it when “experts” turn compliance into confession?And what does it say about our justice system when a child can legally be sentenced to die in prison?This episode lives in the space between confidence and proof — and asks why, before trial has even begun, so many people seem so certain.Listener discretion advised.If you like Mel's work, please tip her:venmo: @melbarrettwritesYou can now join the Something's Off YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

While Rebecca's away, Mel jumped on solo to talk about two cases that are keeping her up at night: Aaron Spencer, the Arkansas father, who killed the man who had SA'd and kidnapped his daughter. Was it vigilantism, or stopping a crime as it was happening. Let Mel know in the comments.And well-known actor, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething, West Wing) is arrested for child SA, accused of abusing 11 year-old twin boys who he was directing on set of The Cleaning Lady. His wife, Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie), is standing by her man.This is the audio from the Something's Off YouTube presentation. If you want to watch the replay, stop by Something's Off and don't forget to engage, subscribe, and share. It helps the algorithm tremendously!If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

While Rebecca's on vacation, Mel sits down with fellow podcaster, rockstar journalist, all around badass, and friend, Maggie Freleng. If you want to watch Mel fangirl all over Maggie, join us! We'll be talking about Maggie's groundbreaking work on wrongful convictions, her newest and amazing podcast, Bone Valley: Graves County Season 3, and the ethics of reporting in the true crime sphere. If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

We knew that already though. Join Mel and cohost, Ellyn Marsh, who is in for Rebecca who is on vacation as they talk Alan Jackson on Billy Bush, Rotten Mango interview w/Karen Read, and Microdots 24 mph in reverse?If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

In this episode of The In Between, Mel sits down with Pamela Smart’s attorney and her good friend— Matthew Zernhelt, on what feels like a turning point day in Pam’s case.Matt has spent years doing the kind of work that doesn’t fit neatly into soundbites: complex post-conviction litigation, constitutional violations, and the long, grinding fight to get a court to actually look at what went wrong. And this week, he and his team filed a new habeas petition — a last-resort legal mechanism that lets you challenge a conviction after the appeals are over, but only on specific, fundamental constitutional grounds.We break down what a habeas petition is (in plain English), why Pam’s case is so unusual, and why this filing is happening in two places at once: New Hampshire, where she was convicted, and New York, where she’s been incarcerated for decades under an interstate compact that creates a jurisdictional mess no one seems to have a clear playbook for.Then we walk through the five core arguments in the petition — including: A groundbreaking scientific study on confirmation bias and “expectation-induced” hearing, showing how state-created transcripts shaped what jurors believed they heard on barely-audible wiretaps. A media-tainted verdict, including evidence that a juror relied on a newspaper story during trial — information that was never presented in court. An unauthorized concession of guilt by trial counsel in closing argument, and why that matters legally (not just emotionally). Faulty jury instructions, including what the jury was not properly told about accomplice liability, premeditation, and what evidence they were allowed to consider. A sentencing problem that still stops me cold: the claim that Pam was given life without parole as if it were mandatory — when the law didn’t actually mandate it for the charge she was convicted of. This is a conversation about law, yes — but it’s also about how a person gets “convicted by headline,” how institutions double down, and what it takes to reopen a case the public thinks it already knows.You’ll hear what happens next, what an evidentiary hearing would look like, and what a “win” actually means here — a new trial, a new sentencing hearing, or the first real shot in decades at getting Pamela Smart back to New Hampshire… and back to her life.(The petition is public and will be made available to listeners. The underlying study has not yet been formally published, but it’s coming.)If you're a fan of Mel's work, please tip her. She's a one-woman-show and is appreciative of your support. ❤️venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsWant to listen to The In Between Podcast AD FREE and receive loads of bonus content? Join the Investigator ClubWatch Something's Off on YouTube

Listener discretion advised.What happens when the state kills someone — and then decides the story matters more than the truth?In this episode of The In Between, host Mel Barrett, examines the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three shot and killed by a federal ICE agent in Minneapolis. Using newly analyzed video, eyewitness accounts, and reporting that directly contradicts the federal government’s claims, this episode slows the moment down — frame by frame — and asks what we’re being told to believe, and why.This isn’t just about one shooting.It’s about narrative power.About confirmation bias and “alternative facts.”About being trained to reject the evidence of our own eyes.As protests erupt and federal agencies close ranks, local investigators are shut out, the FBI takes exclusive control of the evidence, and career civil rights prosecutors resign rather than participate in what they see as a refusal to investigate. The institutions meant to provide accountability begin to crack — and the cost of that collapse becomes painfully clear.This episode confronts fear-as-justification, panic-as-crime, and the growing gap between what happens and what we’re told happened. It asks what justice looks like when transparency disappears — and what it means when the people inside the system walk away.Because Renee Good didn’t get a trial.And her story deserves more than a press release.If you're a fan of Mel's work, please tip her. She's a one-woman-show and is appreciative of your support. ❤️venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsWant to listen to The In Between Podcast AD FREE and receive loads of bonus content? Join the Investigator ClubWatch Something's Off on YouTube

What can we say? You don't want to miss this one!If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

What can we say? You don't want to miss this one! If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Mel and Rebecca discuss the ongoing drama between anti-Karen Read supporters and the #FKR movement--are the McAlberts fractured? Also sidebars, dogs, finances, Kevin Flynn's bodily functions, and then get into the meat of the episode when they delve into a case Mel investigated and covered in a seven-episode season on The In Between Podcast, the Veronika Rodriguez story, about a woman who reported a SA, but ended up in jail herself when the District Attorney charged her with a felony for recording the SA.Listen to the first episode of From Victim to Accused: The Veronika Rodriguez story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-victim-to-accused-the-veronika-rodriguez-story/id1785257330?i=1000716368111If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsIf you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en...You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Mel and Rebecca's discuss Karen Read case updates with the civil trial, Sean Goode's compelling motion for ALLL messages between Goode and, well, everyone, millions of discovered Epstein files, the Sam Nordquist case out of upstate New York, and of course tangents about Carvel's cakepuss, new years resolutions and so much more!If you like us, please tip us:venmo: @melbarrettwritescashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsTo donate to Sam Nordquist's family fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-help-to-locate-sam-nordquistIf you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en...You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Mel + Rebecca wind down 2025 with their first livestream featuring mini-chainsaws, lots of trolls, and news about Kelsey Fitzsimmons, Sean Goode, Jesse Mack Butler, and of course...Turtleboy drama. If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTips If you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en... You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

This update includes graphic and disturbing information about torture, captivity, group violence, and abuse involving a trans victim. Please take care while listening.When I first introduced you to Sam’s story earlier this season, we talked about what was publicly known at the time: a 24-year-old trans man from Minnesota who flew to New York to meet a woman he’d met on TikTok… and never made it home. He missed his flight. His phone shut off. And the messages that trickled back to his family didn’t sound like Sam at all.Sam was sweet. Artistic. Covered in tattoos he’d chosen with intention — two trans pride designs, an infinity symbol for his family. His sister Kayla describes him as someone who processed the world with the earnestness of a teenager, partly because of a head injury earlier in life. He wanted to be in love more than anything. He wanted to belong.Instead, he stepped into a nightmare.On December 18th 2025, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle released a well-sourced and detailed article by journalist, Madison Scott, which shows exactly how that nightmare unfolded for Sam. Please read Madison's article and share this episode and that article on socials.Here's my conversation with Sam's sister, Kayla and his mom, Linda.Thanks for listening and PLEASE SHARE Sam's story far and wide.If you appreciate Mel's work, please tip her. ❤️Donate if you can to Sam's family's fundraiser. They're raising money to travel to New York from Minnesota to be there for the trial. Join the Something's Off Community on Youtube and Facebook.

The holidays are in full swing, so you'd think the news would slow down. It's not. It actually feels like it's ramping up. It's an advent calendar of true crime news on the daily and Mel and Rebecca are here to discuss and dish a little.In this episode the team breaks down the back-and-forth in the O'Keefe civil suit against Karen Read, new information dripping out about the contents of Michael Proctor's emails, and who is affected by his misconduct, those photos of all the president's men (and women) in Vanity Fair, the Sean Goode suspension letter, data scraping the McAlberts fundraiser, Corri Hopkins is back with a bombshell about Nick Guarino's testimony, and JP Miller is indicted on federal cyberstalking charges in the death of his estranged wife, Mica Miller.Hold onto your butts.If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites cashapp: cash.app/$SomethingsOffTipsIf you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en...You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

In December 1993, a young man named Brandon Teena was trying to build a life in rural Nebraska—one built on truth, freedom, and finally being seen for who he was. Instead, he walked straight into a storm of transphobia, violence, and a criminal justice system that treated him like a joke rather than a victim. Days after reporting a brutal assault, Brandon, along with Lisa Lambert and Philip DeVine, was murdered in a farmhouse outside Humboldt. In this deeply personal episode, Mel revisits Brandon’s life, the failures that led to his death, and the courtroom battles that followed. She also reflects on her own journey—coming out in homophobic Texas at seventeen, traveling to Nebraska to stand vigil at the trials, and recognizing the same chilling patterns in the recent death of Sam Nordquist. This isn’t just a story about the past. It’s a warning that echoes forward. If you like Mel's work, PLEASE TIP : venmo.com/melbarrettwrites Watch SOMETHING'S OFF on YouTube @somethingsoffpod You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Rebecca and Mel had a lot to talk about today that weighs heavy on the heart, but luckily they also know how to take a hard left at a tangent and keep the laughter shining a light. This shit is tough to talk about. Thanks for being with us. If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites If you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en... You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts Watch the Brian Walshe hearing on @bostone25news / @boston25news

Mega Something's Off episode with a few menopause breaks.  Mel and Rebecca are talkers...what can we say. 🤷🏻‍♀️  In this episode the hosts--who like to interrupt one another often--breakdown historic cases like OJ Simpson, Pamela Smart, and Matthew Shepard, while getting into the nuances of why the defense chose NOT to put on a case in the Brian Walsh Trial. We'll be on verdict watch starting (probably) tomorrow, but in the meantime, something's off...especially with all those Lowes and Home Depot buckets. WHERE ARE THE BUCKETS?? If you like us, please tip us: venmo: @melbarrettwrites If you too have been a victim of impersonation of the McAlbert's fundraiser, you can contact GiveSendGo here to lodge a complaint: https://help.givesendgo.com/portal/en/newticket  You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts Watch the Brian Walshe hearing on @bostone25news    / @boston25news   Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC

In October 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar, beaten, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, and left alone in the freezing dark for eighteen hours. His murder shocked the nation, ignited a global outcry, and reshaped the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in America. But behind the headlines and the legislation that now carries his name was a real kid — small, gentle, hopeful — who trusted the wrong people on an ordinary Tuesday night. In this episode of The In Between, Mel Barrett reconstructs the final hours of Matthew Shepard’s life . She walks listeners through the investigation, the trials, the brutal arrival of Westboro Baptist Church, the angel-wing counterprotest that became legend, and the sweeping cultural and legal aftershocks that followed. And she asks the question many of us are wrestling with today: how did a nation that fought so urgently for justice in Matthew’s name find itself, decades later, drifting backward? This is not just the story of a murder. It’s the story of a movement, a mother’s resolve, a community’s grief, and a warning from history about what happens when we let the tide turn. If you like Mel's work, PLEASE TIP : venmo.com/melbarrettwrites Watch SOMETHING'S OFF on YouTube @somethingsoffpod You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.  Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc  Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Mel + Rebecca take a train to tangent city PLUS the new Turtleboy hearing v. Cosgrove where Cosgrove argues for emails verses hard copies, days 4+5 of the Brian Walshe Trial--including testimony from Ana Walshe's DC boyfriend, William Fastow...and vampire facials? If you like us, tip us. http://www.venmo.com/melbarrettwrites  Thank you!!! You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts Watch the Brian Walshe hearing on @bostone25news    / @boston25news   Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC

Drama, drama, drama. Mel + Rebecca try to parse the latest Turtleboy drama, while the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is back on their bullshit with the Kelsey Fitzsimmons case, and Mel takes you on a journey through the bonkers first three days of the Brian Walshe Murder Trial.If you like us, tip us. http://www.venmo.com/melbarrettwrites Thank you!!!You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdcListen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socialsListen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcastsWatch the Brian Walshe hearing on @bostone25news https://www.youtube.com/@Boston25NewsJoin the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) on Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB

It's been a long road, but we're finally here. Pamela Smart's attorneys are filing a petition of Habeus Corpus asking for a new trial or at the very least resentencing and they've given me access to the petition. I've been investigating Pam's case for going on a decade and some of the work I did on the first season of The In Between Podcast became the basis for this Habeus. I'm always so proud of the work I do on The In Between Podcast, but this case has been my white whale and I'm so honored to be apart of these arguments.I want to share what I can with you, so without further adieu, here are the five points Pam's case will hinge on.PLEASE PLEASE share her story.And if you like the work I do, please tip.TO LISTEN TO SEASON ONE, start here.Watch SOMETHING'S OFFJoin the Investigator Club for early and ad-free episode, bonus content, lives, and so much more!

It’s been more than thirty years since Pamela Smart, a 22-year-old media coordinator from Derry, New Hampshire, was convicted of plotting her husband’s murder. But the story isn’t over. In fact, it’s entering a new chapter.Pamela’s legal team, led by attorney Matthew Zernhelt, has just filed a new habeas corpus petition — and some of the evidence behind it came directly from Mel's own investigation. Among the claims: Inaccurate transcripts given to the jury — words allegedly spoken by Pam that were never actually audible on tape. A defense attorney’s unauthorized admission of guilt, undermining her right to a fair defense. Jurors influenced by the media, not the evidence. Faulty jury instructions that failed to define deliberation and premeditation. And a sentence—life without parole for an accomplice—that may have been unconstitutional under New Hampshire law. Over the next few weeks, Mel will be breaking down these developments, including new expert findings from Marion Davidson and a Loyola University study confirming major transcript errors that went unnoticed for decades.

If you're a listening learner, you'll hopefully get a lot out of listening to Mel read you the new Karen Read complaint.If you want to read along, here's the court filing: https://www.scribd.com/document/951000000/Karen-Read-Lawsuit#from_embedIf you want to listen without ads, join The Investigator ClubThanks for listening. If you like Mel's work, please let her know, by tipping.

In PART TWO of this mega episode--which was too big to upload, so I'm releasing it in parts--Mel + Rebecca break down Brian Walshe pre-trial updates, Karen Read's civil suit against Proctor, Bukhenik, Tully and the McAlberts, Corri Hopkins gets the sidebahs, Deitch is running for Morrissey’s job, Gaitani helps out Turtleboy, and Depetro reaches out to Rebecca. TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUBSO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPICFollow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcastsWatch the Brian Walshe hearing on  @Boston25News  : https://www.youtube.com/live/z26hqsgcXVY?si=JqawYIbzwdQSQ9ZYIf you want to listen to the whole complaint, tune in on Friday, November 21, 2025 to The In Between Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts) to listen to Mel read it to you.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-in-between-podcast-with-mel-barrett/id1785257330

In PART ONE of this mega episode--which was too big to upload, so I'm releasing it in parts--Mel + Rebecca break down Brian Walshe pre-trial updates, Karen Read's civil suit against Proctor, Bukhenik, Tully and the McAlberts, Corri Hopkins gets the sidebahs, Deitch is running for Morrissey’s job, Gaitani helps out Turtleboy, and Depetro reaches out to Rebecca. TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUBSO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPICFollow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcastsWatch the Brian Walshe hearing on  @Boston25News  : https://www.youtube.com/live/z26hqsgcXVY?si=JqawYIbzwdQSQ9ZYIf you want to listen to the whole complaint, tune in on Friday, November 21, 2025 to The In Between Podcast (wherever you get your podcasts) to listen to Mel read it to you.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-in-between-podcast-with-mel-barrett/id1785257330Mel + Rebecca's coverage of the Karen Read Complaint starts at: 52:09

Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode 5.5 Mel + Rebecca break down the final pre-trial hearing before the Dec 1 trial begins for Brian Walshe. We're back in Norfolk County and so are some of the characters from the Karen Read case. It gets SPICY. AND Turtleboy responds to the Mcalberts threats. TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips You can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) on Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, EARLY and AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content, and so much more! SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault and DV.Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode 5Mel + Rebecca break down the case of rapist, Jesse Butler, who received no jail time even though he almost killed one of his victims, PLUS more Proctor emails in the Marbury V Mad email dump, holy shit the Epstein Files, annnnd Lindsey Gaetani releases an audio memo from one of the conspirators.TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the YouTube channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level.Or for EARLY + AD FREE audio only, Join THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUBFollow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcastsJESSE BUTLER ARREST AFFIDAVIT (WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT AHEAD): chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.newsnationnow.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/108/2025/11/JESSE-MACK-BUTLER-FILES-REDACTED-2.pdfJESSE BUTLER AND HIS SUPPORTIVE FAMILY STARING DOWN ONE OF THE VICTIM'S MOMS: https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/10/22/families-outraged-after-osu-officials-son-spared-prison-in-sexual-assault-case/ JESSE BUTLER ARREST VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p5GpGiNHfY

Jesse Mack Butler was charged with raping and choking two girls at Stillwater High School. Eleven felonies. One girl thought she was going to die. And somehow—he walked. No jail. No detention. Just therapy, community service, and a ban on social media.In this episode, Mel breaks down exactly what he did, what the victims survived, and how the system—judges, prosecutors, schools—chose to protect him. This isn’t a case of “he said, she said.” This is a case of “she said—and they still didn’t care.”This one’s tough. But it’s the truth.If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted RAINN: https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTipsSOMETHING'S OFF on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPodJoin the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off on Fridays, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode 4Mel + Rebecca break down the MarburyVMad (Corri Hopkins) MSP email dump from the Karen Read Trial and Mel breaks down the civil case of the 1st grade shooter who shot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner.TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTipsYou can now join the channel! Click the join button to select your favorite level. Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content.SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUBSO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPICFollow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcastsAnd check out listener, Kristan Shimpi's blog, The Thoughtful Mom https://thethoughtfulmom.com/2025/11/01/somethings-off/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN52fBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeiaF6lnQKs_Mx1Id-8LZdku0mMMMiluD-VAhgB_Fu9EFNZwWs8uY0bJGYkpw_aem_TYDfVHFPSLTbIO4EMl85HA

When 36-year-old Sonya Massey—a Black mother of two—called 911 for help during a mental health crisis, she needed compassion. Instead, she was shot in the face by a white sheriff’s deputy in her own kitchen. In this episode of The In Between, host Mel Barrett walks listeners through the events of July 6, 2024, the bodycam footage that shook a community, the trial that followed, and the broader failures in policing, race, and mental health response. We’ll hear from Sonya’s family, legal experts, and activists demanding change. This isn’t just one isolated tragedy—it’s part of a devastating pattern. And as we trace Sonya’s legacy through courtroom justice, community grief, and legislative reform, we ask: What does accountability really look like when someone dies after asking for help? ⚠️ Content warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of police violence, mental health crisis, and the fatal shooting of a Black woman. Listener discretion is advised. TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips SOMETHING'S OFF: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off on Fridays, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC  Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode 3.5Mel + Rebecca break down the preservation of Michael Proctor's messages and go on a deep dive into Samanthan Benigno's analysis of the 911 call Jen McCabe made at the scene of John O'Keefe's death. If you weren't already convinced the McCabes and Alberts had something to do with you, you might be after watching Sam's video. We'll link below.TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off on Fridays, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode Three  Mel + Rebecca get into allll the chaos surrounding Turtleboy and the other boys, updates on all things Karen Read adjacent, including Microdots, and we take a deep dive on the Kelsey Fitzsimmons case.   TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips  Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off on Fridays, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC  Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

On September 15, 2025, 21-year-old Trey Reed—a first-generation college student at Delta State University—was found hanging from a tree on campus. Within hours, his death was ruled a suicide. No investigation. No real answers. But Trey’s family knew something was wrong. And the deeper you look, the more disturbing the picture becomes: missing surveillance footage, a mysterious belt with no buckle, a second autopsy showing blunt force trauma, and a chilling history of racially motivated violence in the very place Trey died. In this episode, Mel Barrett examines the facts, the cover-ups, and the rising pattern civil rights leaders are calling “lynching by suicide.” This isn’t just about one case. It’s about the systems that keep failing Black families, and the voices demanding justice. Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, racial violence, and harm to Black bodies. ❤️ If you like Mel's work, click the tip jar ❤️ 🚨 Here's the link to the SOMETHING'S OFF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT! 🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links: Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

Something's Off with Mel Barrett + Rebecca Lavoie episode Two Mel + Rebecca get into allll the chaos surrounding Michael Proctor, the Fed document dump/hearings, who lied: Dever or Cox? and an old rumor that resurfaced this week about a person being hit by a plow on Fairview Road. TIP JAR: https://tinyurl.com/SomethingsOffTips Join the Investigator Club (The In Between Podcast) or Crime Writer's On Patreon for the audio drop of Something's Off on Fridays, AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content. SO IN THE INVESTIGATOR CLUB: https://tinyurl.com/INVESTIGATORCLUB SO IN PARTNERS IN CRIME: https://tinyurl.com/SOCWOPIC Follow @realmelbarrett on all socials / TT: @jackofalltradesdc  Listen to the In Between Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow ‪@reblavoie‬ on all socials Listen to Crime Writer's On wherever you get your podcasts

Mel returns to three deeply unsettling cases that continue to raise serious questions: Ellen Greenberg: A new city-commissioned review reaffirms suicide, despite 20+ stab wounds. Her family says the fight for justice is far from over. Michael Proctor: The former state trooper withdraws his appeal after disturbing personal texts dating back to 2013 surface—some now allowed in a separate murder trial. Sam Nordquist: As DNA evidence is collected and pre-trial hearings wrap up, seven suspects await trial in a case involving kidnapping, torture, and murder. Mel breaks down the latest legal developments, new evidence, and the public response. These are stories we’ve covered before—but there’s more to say.❤️ If you like Mel's work, click the tip jar ❤️🚨 Here's the link to the SOMETHING'S OFF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT!🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Preview SOMETHING'S OFF here and join us in the Investigator Club to get early access to new episodes, or subscribe to the YouTube to watch Something's Off for FREE.In our first episode, Mel Barrett and Rebecca Lavoie dig into the discord in the Turtleboy/FKR communities and take a deeper dive into the upcoming Brian Walshe trial, which crosses over into Karen Read territory when Yuri Bukhenik and Michael Proctor show up again.To watch the episode, subscribe to the SOMETHING'S OFF YOUTUBE - New FREE Episodes every Friday.  ❤️ If you like our work, click to send us a tip ❤️🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast and Something's Off.

Fridays starting October 2025.You know that feeling? When a case doesn’t add up, when the story feels off? That’s where Investigative Journalists and podcast hosts, Mel Barrett and Rebecca Lavoie, come in, breaking down the crimes, the trials, and the cover-ups that make you say: Something’s Off.❤️ If you like our work, click the tip jar ❤️🚨 Here's the link to the SOMETHING'S OFF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT!🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In May of 2001, 49-year-old Leslie Preer was found brutally murdered inside her Chevy Chase home. For years, suspicion shadowed her husband, Sandy, who failed a polygraph and couldn’t explain his movements the night before her death. But one piece of evidence—male DNA under Leslie’s fingernails—told a different story.Two decades later, a new generation of detectives reopened the case, armed with technology that didn’t exist back then. Using forensic genetic genealogy, they traced the unknown DNA to a name that stunned everyone: Eugene Gligor, a D.C. man who had once dated Leslie’s daughter, Lauren.This episode unravels how Gligor lived freely for 23 years—attending recovery meetings, making friends, and even speaking kindly to Lauren years after the murder—while concealing the truth. We’ll follow the investigation from that first chilling crime scene through the groundbreaking DNA match, Gligor’s arrest and guilty plea, and the courtroom reckoning that finally brought justice for Leslie and cleared her husband’s name.It’s a story about secrets that linger, the families left in their wake, and the detectives who refuse to let time silence the truth.Because for every case like this one—where a killer is finally unmasked—there are thousands more still waiting in the dark. Thousands of families still waiting for the knock on the door that says, “We got him.”❤️ If you like Mel's work, click the tip jar ❤️🚨 Here's the link to the SOMETHING'S OFF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT!🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Dropping Fridays starting October 2025.You know that feeling? When a case doesn’t add up, when the story feels off? That’s where Investigative Journalists and podcast hosts, Mel Barrett and Rebecca Lavoie, come in, breaking down the crimes, the trials, and the cover-ups that make you say: Something’s Off.❤️ If you like our work, click the tip jar ❤️🚨 Here's the link to the SOMETHING'S OFF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT!🛒 Need something from Amazon: Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

❤️If you like Mel's work, hit the tip jar❤️In Part Two of A SAVAGE FOREST, we pick up where the mountain left off—with a body, a knife, and a story that keeps changing. The autopsy contradicts Megan’s account of a tragic accident, revealing seven deep, deliberate cuts to Alexander Stevens’ throat. As prosecutors build their case for murder, Megan’s defense paints a different picture: one of manipulation, trauma, and control.In this episode, we step inside the courtroom, examining the forensic evidence, the dueling expert testimony, and the strange allegations that shaped the trial—including Megan’s claim that Alex had once carved a cross into her back. It’s a story that hovers between love and violence, faith and obsession—and it forces us to ask how far we’ll go to make sense of something senseless.By the end, we’re left with more questions than answers. Did Megan kill Alex in cold blood—or did a ritual between two broken people spiral out of control? The jury made their decision. But for those who have studied this case, something still doesn’t feel right.🚨Here's the link to Mel's new show with Rebecca Lavoie, SOMETHING'S OFF: https://www.youtube.com/@SomethingsOffPod -- Please subscribe for updates. Podcast episodes will be released here on Patreon and video episodes will be released on YT!🛒 Need something from Amazon?  Mel's Affiliate Links:🕵🏻‍♀️ Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

On a freezing night in January 2017, 21-year-old Megan Shaffer and 24-year-old Alexander Stevens hiked deep into Savage River State Forest in Western Maryland. They carried candles, a knife, and even Alex’s pet cat—preparing for what Megan would later describe as a “cleansing ritual.” Hours later, Megan was rescued—naked, bruised, hypothermic—while Alex was found dead in a frozen creek, his throat cut and candles burned to stubs around him.Megan gave police not one, but three conflicting stories. An accident. A suicide. A forced plunge and a ritual gone wrong. And yet the evidence pointed somewhere darker.In this first episode, I take you into the woods, through the timeline of that night, and into Megan’s shifting accounts. By the end, when the autopsy contradicts everything she said, you’ll understand why this case still haunts Savage Mountain—and why I can’t shake the feeling that something doesn’t add up.Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In February 2021, twenty-three-year-old Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts apartment. She was eight months pregnant. The official ruling: suicide by asphyxia. For years, that’s where the story stopped.But when the FBI uncovered more than thirty thousand missing messages between Sandra and Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, the truth began to surface — a decade of grooming, coercion, and control. In August 2024, Farwell was indicted for Sandra’s murder.In this episode of The In Between, Mel revisits Sandra’s life and death, and the long silence that followed. We examine how investigators missed — or buried — crucial evidence, and how the same failures echo through the case of Karen Read. From missing messages to bent timelines, from compromised investigators to federal intervention, Sandra’s story reveals not just one tragedy, but a culture of cover-ups that stretches far beyond her.This is the story of a young woman who deserved better, and of the patterns that keep repeating when the powerful write the ending.Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on stage at Utah Valley University. The media asked, “How did we get here?” But the truth is—we already know.In this special episode of The In Between, host Mel Barrett, breaks the mold of the series to trace the long road that led to Kirk’s assassination: Donald Trump’s decades of violent rhetoric, the rise of Nick Fuentes and the Groypers, Kirk’s own pivot into conspiratorial territory with the Epstein files, and the online ecosystems where memes become manifestos.We’ll look at the shooter, Tyler Robinson, his bullet casings engraved with anti-fascist slogans and internet jokes, and the instant wave of conspiracy theories—about security guards, hand signals, and martyrdom—that followed. We’ll also confront the political aftermath, where Republican lawmakers blamed Democrats instead of guns, and where stochastic terrorism—the unpredictable violence seeded by years of hateful rhetoric—became undeniable.This isn’t just the story of one man’s death. It’s the story of how rhetoric turns to blood, how violence is normalized, and how a democracy erodes when cruelty becomes identity.Mel's Affiliate Links:Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast:Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

This week on The In Between Podcast, host Mel Barrett, revisits the aftermath of the night Ellen Greenberg was found with twenty stab wounds in her Philadelphia apartment—and the instant clash between an autopsy that pointed to homicide and a police narrative that leaned suicide. Through the “locked room” lens, Mel unpacks what the door latch could (and couldn’t) prove, why the body’s injuries don’t match a self-inflicted story, and how a professionally cleaned scene and pre-warrant removal of electronics crippled the forensics.Along the way, she draws clear parallels to Sandra Birchmore, Karen Read...and ultimately Veronika Rodriguez where tidy explanations outpaced the evidence.The episode centers the politics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's highest echelon of power and decision-making.As friends, family, and community activists ask why Governor Josh Shapiro isn't getting involved in the Veronika Rodriguez case, Ellen Greenberg's case might give us some insight.Mel's Affiliate Links: Join the Investigator Club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: Follow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

This week on The In Between Podcast, host Mel Barrett, revisits the night Ellen Greenberg was found with twenty stab wounds in her Philadelphia apartment—and the instant clash between an autopsy that pointed to homicide and a police narrative that leaned suicide. Through the “locked room” lens, Mel unpacks what the door latch could (and couldn’t) prove, why the body’s injuries don’t match a self-inflicted story, and how a professionally cleaned scene and pre-warrant removal of electronics crippled the forensics.Along the way, she draws clear parallels to Sandra Birchmore, Karen Read...and ultimately Veronika Rodriguez where tidy explanations outpaced the evidence.The episode centers the Greenberg family’s relentless push to correct the record and foreshadows the seismic moment years later when the original pathologist reverses himself. It’s a primer on how certainty can harden too fast—and how families are forced to pry it loose.As friends, family, and community activists ask why Governor Josh Shapiro isn't getting involved in the Veronika Rodriguez case, Ellen Greenberg's case might give us some insight.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In the final (for now) installment of From Victim to Accused, host Mel Barrett travels to Lebanon County Pennsylvania for Veronika Rodriguez' sentencing hearing. This is an in-depth discussion of what happened then and what's to come with fellow podcaster, Ellyn Marsh of the I Think Not! Podcast.The family is raising money for an appeal. If you feel so inclined, donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/veronikas-voiceBack story: Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted.Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com-------------Check out our friend, Ellyn Marsh's hit podcast, I THINK NOT! here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-think-not/id1513154358

In Episode five, host Mel Barrett, goes on a deep dive into the prosecutor in Veronika's case: Pier Hess GrafPier Hess Graf didn’t just prosecute the alleged victim in this case, she went hard at Veronika Rodriguez, asking for up to 16 years in prison for reporting her own sexual assault. I wonder where that kind of resentment and unrelenting spite comes from. Did getting accused of sleeping her way into the DA’s office create internalized misogyny in Pier Hess Graf? Why has she never brought a sexual assault case before Veronika’s? Is her ambition to fit into the boy’s club so great that she hates women because of it?Pier Hess Graf will be remembered as a DA who inspired fierce loyalty and fierce opposition. You can respect her relentlessness in court and still demand she follow ethics. You can back law enforcement and still expect independence. You can acknowledge false accusations exist–though in my opinion, not in Veronika’s case–and you can still refuse to build a system that punishes reporting itself.Those aren’t contradictions. They’re the bare minimum for a justice system worthy of the word justice.Please share. Veronika's sentencing happens on August 20, 2025 so sharing this episode helps get the word out about what really happened in her case.Back story: Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted.Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In this episode of The In Between Podcast, Mel spends an hour discussing the alleged assault of Veronika Rodriguez with the man she accused...Fahad PervezPlease share. Veronika's sentencing happens on August 20, 2025 so sharing this episode helps get the word out about what really happened in her case.Back story: Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted.Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at:IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In this episode of The In Between Podcast, Mel goes on a deep dive into the investigation and even manages to score an interview with an elusive guest. Please share. Veronika's sentencing happens on August 20, 2025 so sharing this episode helps get the word out about what really happened in her case. Back story: Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted. Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025. Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

This is a dark week for TIBP, as Mel is currently investigating the Veronika Rodriguez case which is very much a living, breathing story. A new episode about Veronika’s story will air next tuesday, August 5, 2025.  Season One of TIBP, which re-investigates the Pamela Smart case, didn’t just revisit a high-profile trial—Mel's reporting uncovered new evidence, new witnesses, major discrepancies between the wiretaps and transcripts, and a constitutional violation during trial when Pamela’s own defense told the jury she was guilty—without her consent. A new habeas petition is in the works, her first real shot at a new trial in 35 years. Mel also found a juror who admitted to convicting based on a false media report—and a witness who can testify to that. This is no longer just a podcast—it’s become a story with legal traction, so for those of you who haven’t listened to season one, Mel wanted to drop the first episode–Live Free or Die–here while you await the concluding weeks of Veronika’s story.  And if you’re looking for ad-free bonus content, don’t forget to subscribe to the TBIP club at the researcher level to gain more access to content, behind-the-scenes looks at cases, and lives with special guests. Your support keeps this train on the tracks and we couldn’t do it with out you. So please hit the subscribe button, rate, and review to keep us moving. And now…Season One, episode one of the In between podcast: Live Free or Die, the Pamela Smart story.  Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

It's getting wild. Here's an update about the case. This one's important. Please listen, share, rate, review.Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted.Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In part two of the Veronika Rodriguez Story, Mel digs into who Veronika is and how she got caught up in the fight for her life and liberty.  Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted. Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025. Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

Host, Mel Barrett, is bringing you another case that will blow your mind. Veronika Rodriguez reported her rape to police. She even had evidence to prove it happened. Still police didn't believe her and turned her from victim, to accused, to convicted. Mel hadn’t planned to make a several episode push about one subject in between seasons, but this story has fallen into her lap and she can’t look away. Veronika has been tried and convicted of making a false report of sexual assault and felony wiretapping in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaia. She is awaiting sentencing on August 20, 2025. Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

To email Pam your condolences, go to SecurusTech.net and add Pam as a contact. Here's her info: PAMELA SMART 93G0356 Bedford Hills Correctional FacilityYou'll have to pay for stamps, but it's a minimal cost. If you'd like to donate to Pam's legal fight, donate here: https://www.payit2.com/f/supportpamelasmartAll the money raised goes to Pam's legal team who are working pro-bono right now to file her new Habeus Petition. They have a VERY STRONG case and have already paid experts for their time, but as they're in Maryland, they'll all need to travel to New Hampshire for hearings, so your donation goes to funding a good legal team, expert witnesses, travel, and administrative expenses. If you'd like to donate to Pam directly for commissary (food, toiletries, etc), go here: jpay.com and enter in the same info for Pam as above.Thanks for all you do, lovely listeners. I'd love to get a campaign going for Pam like the one created for Karen Read. If you're interested in being involved, have ideas, or just want to know more, feel free to email: inbetweenpod2024@gmail.com

Join host, Mel Barrett, as she wraps up the Karen Read case, analyzes the post trial media, discusses what's next for the investigation and her own work on other cases.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkSubscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie as they discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Rebecca + Kevin from Crime Writers On and your host, Mel break down what happened on the final day of the Karen Read retrial - including a wild thing that happened in a parking lot in Dedham.

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Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week eight. The defense rests. Shockingly the Commonwealth doesn't offer a rebuttal and closing arguments keep us riveted before the jury gets the case.We'll have a verdict any day now.Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkSubscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie as they discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In this special episode drop, host Mel Barrett introduces Crime Seen, a true crime review podcast that gets to the heart of how true crime stories are told with hosts Mari Forth & Sarah Carradine. Mel was a recent guest on the show and discussed the Pamela Smart case in some depth as well as the true crime documentary, #Cybersleuths: The Idaho Murders. Please rate, review, and subscribe for all the true crime pods you listen to. It really helps creators grow and bring awareness to cases that might not otherwise get the attention they deserve. CRIME SEEN: https://crimeseenpod.com/ Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkSubscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie as they discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week seven. The defense is well into their case while one cop loses her mind and another switches sides. Also those gross texts from Michael Proctor make another appearance. Join the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie as they discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expanded Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

The state of New Hampshire keeps doing what they've done for 35 years...hating on Pamela Smart. Want to start changing minds? Link to NH Bulletin Article: https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/06/05/republicans-pass-parental-rights-bills-as-democrats-allege-children-will-be-harmed/Link to Rep DeSimone's NH Rep page: https://gc.nh.gov/house/members/member.aspx?member=376807Contact Governor Kelly Ayotte: https://www.governor.nh.gov/contact-governor-ayotte PAYIT2 Legal Fund: https://www.payit2.com/f/supportpamelasmartJoin the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week six and as you might expect from the Commonwealth...they introduce another tedious witness, their last, Dr. Judson Welcher. And the Commonwealth rests! Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie as they discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedJoin the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Governor Kelly Ayotte and the state of New Hampshire have again rejected Pamela Smart's petition for commutation, but this time...they didn't even give her a hearing.Hear Pam's reaction in this episode.PAYIT2 Legal Fund: https://www.payit2.com/f/supportpamelasmartJoin the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week five, a short week for time, but not drama. Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie to discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedJoin the club for AD FREE, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and bonus content of The In Between Podcast: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

On this episode of The In Between, host Mel Barrett has an unfiltered and emotional discussion with Samantha and Jules Werkheiser, two women incarcerated with Pamela Smart, who were wrongfully convicted of child sexual assault. Their story is a cautionary tale and they're using their time as exonerated women to make a difference in our legal system, after decades were stolen from them. **LISTENER DISCRETION: Some listeners might find the subject matter of this episode disturbing such as sexual assault, mental and physical abuse, and child sexual assault and abuse. Listener discretion is advised.  Please don't forget to subscribe, rate, review, and share these important stories with your friends and family.  Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com Love Beyond Bars: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/07/19/photo-essay-werkheisers-wrongful-conviction Mothers on the Inside: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063547930270 HALT Solitary Confinement Act: https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A02500&term=2019&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week four and it's drama filled, even though witnesses and evidence are pretty technical and dry. Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie to discuss the new trial.This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Hey y'all, it's your host, Mel Barrett with a programming note. Week four of Murder in Canton The Retrial of Karen Read will drop tomorrow before 12p est. Sorry for the delay, but I'm coming at you with two episodes this week. Can't wait to share. Thanks for your patience!

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week three and it's all about the investigation with two days focused on Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Yuri Bukhenik. Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie to discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expanded Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

Listen to your host, Mel Barrett on The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie from Crime Writers On! Mel will be joining Rebecca Lavoie and sometimes Kevin Flynn from Crime Writers On on their hit show, The Readathon, where they will discuss the daily goings on in the Retrial of Karen Read. Rebecca’s been covering this case for a long time and they’ve got a library of 80+ episodes covering all things Karen Read, the drama that happens on the streets in the town of Canton, Massachusetts, and in town select meetings. There coverage also includes interviews with Aidan Kearney aka Turtleboy, commentary on the divide in the community, and a whole lot of laughs about some of the absurdity of this consequential case. Rebecca and Kevin have graciously offered up an episode to Mel's listeners, so take a listen and stop by The Readathon and Crime Writers On to let them know Mel and The In Between Podcast sent you. Crime Writers On: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-writers-on-true-crime-review/id949195280The Readathon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expanded

Join host Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in the retrial of Karen Read. This is week two and it's full of drama and a whole lot of different views on how this all went down. Plus, Judge Beverly Canone makes a HUGE decision on a pending motion that could change the outcome of this trial. Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon with Rebecca Lavoie to discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expanded Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

Join Mel Barrett as she breaks down the goings on in retrial of Karen Read. This is week one and it started with a bang!Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon to discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Host Mel Barrett goes on a mega deep dive into the investigation and first trial of Karen Read on the eve of her retrial.Subscribe for updates about the second trial and catch Mel on Crime Writers On The Readathon to discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

An important update. Expect a big episode out on Monday, April 21, 2025 in anticipation of opening statements in the second Karen Read Trial starting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.Also! Host of The In Between Podcast, Mel Barrett joins Crime Writers On The Readathon to discuss the new trial. This will be a regular thing throughout the trial so join the conversation here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/595523?view=expandedFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In a candid and emotional interview, Mel speaks with Darlie Routier's youngest sister, Danelle, about her sister, the night of the crime, and her family's belief that Darlie is wrongfully convicted of murdering her two young boys.

Just a quick update from host, Mel Barrett. Today's scheduled episode fell victim to the tech Gods, but not to worry, you'll have Mel's interview with Darlie Routier's sister, Danelle tomorrow.

On a quiet night in June 1996, the affluent suburb of Rowlett, Texas, was rocked by a brutal crime: 6-year-old Devon and 5-year-old Damon Routier were stabbed to death while sleeping in the family’s living room. Their mother, Darlie Routier, claimed an intruder broke in and attacked them all. But when investigators dug deeper, suspicion turned toward the one person who was supposed to protect them: DarlieHost of The In Between Podcast, Mel Barrett gives you a glimpse of the murders that shook the state of Texas in the late 90s and changed a family's life forever as one of their own was accused, convicted, and now sits on death row for brutally murdering two of her three children. But the question remains...did she do it?You can binge all ad-free episodes and bonus content of the first season of The In Between over at the Grab Bag Collab Patreon page. Follow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In this episode of The In Between Podcast, host Mel Barrett speaks at length with Sam Nordquist's mother and sister about the months leading up to Sam's disappearance and heinous murder and what happens next.

Sam Nordquist was a typical twenty-four year-old guy. He loved TikTok, his family and friends, and animals. And like so many of us, Sam found love online. After a short period of dating, Sam traveled from his home state of Minnesota to meet his love, Precious Arzuaga, a thirty-eight year-old single mother, whom he hoped to start a life with.But Sam didn't find love in Canandaigua, New York. He found depravity, violence, and sadism--allegedly--at the hands of the woman who was supposed to love him. Later, Sam would be found dead in a field in upstate New York. His broken body showed signs of a month's long torture, depravation, and murder at the hands of Precious Arzuaga and a group of violent misfits. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes content? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Pamela Smart answers various questions and discusses an appeal and what's next.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes content? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Mel talks at length with someone very close to the case and the boys who perpetrated the murder, Raymond's brother, Robert. Robert goes into detail about what happened the night of the murder when the boys came back to his home and what it was like in the months leading up to the trial, including his thoughts on Pam Smart and her sentence.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Even Manson had the option of parole.  Mel speaks further with the Sentencing Project and a Democratic Representative from NH who is introducing a new bill that might offer the opportunity of parole for Pamela Smart. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Follow The In Between Podcast at:  IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficial FB: @TheInBetweenPod Bluesky: @inbetweenpod Web: inbetweenpod.com

Mel got the chance to catch up with Pam, which gave her an opportunity to respond to the podcast so far.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

The media's role in creating the trope of the "manipulative ice princess" and how that categorization found Pam Smart's family desperately searching to find their daughter and sister within the prison system when she went missing during the first two years of her Life Without Parole Sentence.Listen to find out where she was and why her family couldn't find her until it was too late to say goodbye.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

For fourteen days in March of 1991, the country and much of the world was riveted by a court case in a tiny New Hampshire town called, Exeter. The Pamela Smart Accomplice to Murder Trial.​Perhaps everyone was so enthralled by the spectacle they missed the very real possibility of a miscarriage of justice, but there's the tape and transcripts. Mel takes a deep dive on the trial and errors that occurred.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

This episode wasn't planned, but Mel felt compelled to share it when she FINALLY tracked down one of the key players in this story, and he spent an hour with her. This is the only episode in the series that is comprised of an interview with a source. Listen to find out why.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

The wire taps were the only physical evidence against Pamela Smart, so the questions remain: Was Pamela Smart acting when she was recorded by the Derry Police and Cecelia Pierce? She says she was.Were the wiretaps edited or spliced? Forensic audiologists say yes.Who transcribed the tapes? The prosecutor says some "secretary" in the Attorney General's office, not a certified transcriber.Mel dives deep into the tapes in this episode and even manages to get her hands on the famed transcripts. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Only one of the five teens involved in planning and carrying out the murder of Gregg Smart on May 1, 1990 was never charged and never served a day behind bars. Cecelia Pierce. In this episode, Mel goes on another deep dive to figure out why. She even comes across some potentially new evidence...if she can figure out where it exists.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Hi friends! It’s Mel Barrett, the host of The In Between Podcast, coming at you with a very big announcement. On Tuesday, January 14th at 5:45 pm EST, Ellyn Marsh from I Think Not and Rabia and Ellyn Solve the Case, and I will be co-hosting a live event on the Grab Bag Collab Patreon for our “Behind the Scenes” and up tiers about my first season of TIBP, Live Free or Die. The first season of the pod, if you haven’t listened yet, is all about the Pamela Smart Accomplice to Murder Trial that happened in New Hampshire in 1990 AND  Pam’s new legal fight taking place as I speak with you right now. We’ll have a special guest joining us–someone at the very center of this case–and we’ll be talking about the new appeal as well as answering any burning questions you have about the case and Pam Smart herself. Audience participation is encouraged. I’m telling you now, you don’t want to miss it.

Mel takes you on a deep, deep dive into the teens involved in the murder and who they were at the time, and beyond. Was there a reason behind Bill Flynn's emotions on the stand? What did they actually do to Pam's dog? Listener discretion is advised. You've been warned. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Pam is angry. The men who pulled the trigger and killed her husband are out. They’ve been out for almost a decade while she still sits in prison without any possibility of parole. But Pam has been angry for nearly 34 years. Her anger is part of how we think of her, how we remember her.Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

In this debut episode of The In Between, host Mel Barrett takes you back to May 1990, when Gregg Smart was brutally murdered in the condo he shared with his young wife, Pamela Smart. Just down the road, a 15-year-old Mel listened closely as her family and neighbors confidently discussed the case: Pamela, they believed, had manipulated her 16-year-old lover into killing her husband. Now, thirty-four years later, Mel revisits what she was told back then, questioning the narrative that has lingered in her hometown. In this gripping episode, Mel begins her journey of breaking down the case and invites you in to make up your own mind, while she challenges decades of conviction and doubt.Tune in as Mel digs deep into a case that forever changed her community. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonuses like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes content? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com

Host Mel Barrett investigates a famous murder case that has split the community in her home state of New Hampshire right down the middle for thirty-four years. It’s a closed case, but based on what Mel uncovers this season in old police files (including surreptitiously recorded wiretaps), never before heard interviews, and a bombshell post trial interview with a juror that’s been hidden away, Mel is about to blow the case wide open. On this season of The In Between Podcast, the Accomplice to Murder Trial of Pamela Smart goes under the microscope and Mel finds new evidence that may lead to a new trial. Want to listen AD FREE and get access to bonus content like LIVES, VIDEO, and behind-the-scenes content? Join our exclusive TIBP community here: https://patreon.com/TheInBetweenPodcastwithMelBarrett?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFollow The In Between Podcast at: IG: @TheInBetweenPodOfficialFB: @TheInBetweenPodBluesky: @inbetweenpodWeb: inbetweenpod.com