S2, Ep. 13: Xavier's Final Guilty Plea

In this special episode of Crime Beat, you will meet Janine Madera, a fierce advocate for justice who works as a homicide prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney's Office. She has tried 72 trials and won 57 convictions without hearing a word of testimony. Madera is deaf and operates in the courtroom with strategically placed sign language interpreters. But her deafness isn't the most important part of her story. Janine Madera was raped as a child, and she decided as a pre-teen that she was going to someday work to put criminals behind bars.

The "Crime Beat" team offers insight into Season 2 at a Coast Conversation event, and we wrap the season with updates on what is going on with key people you met along the way.

Xavier Lopez gave a final statement that proved truth still wasn't part of his defense strategy.

You will hear the entire interview with Sam Lopez from the day Cathy Torrez's body was found.

Detective Daron Wyatt takes us on a tour of Placentia to show where and how Cathy's murder took place.

Was Cathy Torrez pregnant? One of the witnesses makes an incredible revelation.

After 13 years, police arrest four suspects in the murder of Cathy Torrez.

The Cathy Torrez murder investigation is dead. No one is investigating. Mary Bennett and Daron Wyatt can't seem to find anyone who cares.

Rebecca Lavoie, host of "Crime Writers On," talks with Crime Beat host Keith Sharon about podcasting, journalism and some of the best true crime podcasts of all time.

Police finally find a fingerprint and some DNA evidence, but neither belongs to Sam Lopez.