"Good Kid” Privilege: How the System Protected a Violent Teen | The Jesse Butler Case

When a murder destroys a family, the world often focuses on the killers, the trials, and the endless courtroom drama. But in the case of Dan Markel and the Adelson family, the most important victims aren’t in prison or on TV — they’re two children quietly living in the wreckage. In this episode, Tony Brueski takes a deep dive into the psychological trauma faced by the children of Wendi Adelson and Dan Markel — the victims of a murder-for-hire plot that shattered two families and left the kids trapped between love and truth. Imagine growing up knowing your father was murdered — and the people accused of orchestrating it are your own family.  Your grandmother, your uncle… now convicted.  Your mother… testifying under immunity.  And you, stuck in the middle — surrounded by people trying to convince you that what the world says is true… is actually a lie. This episode explores how children process trauma in these impossible circumstances: Loyalty conflicts — the psychological tug-of-war between love for caregivers and love for a lost parent. Protective dissonance — the brain’s survival mechanism that rewrites reality to preserve attachment. Ambiguous loss — mourning people who are still alive but emotionally gone. Identity trauma — how kids in these situations struggle to trust, attach, and build a sense of self. It’s not just grief — it’s fragmentation. And while the trials may be over, the emotional sentence for these kids has only begun. This isn’t about guilt or innocence anymore — it’s about the long-term scars of murder within a family, and what happens to the children who have to live in the echo. 🎧 Listen to Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski for full coverage of the Adelson case, expert interviews, and deep psychological insight into the real victims of true crime. #DanMarkel #WendiAdelson #AdelsonFamily #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #Trauma #ChildPsychology #FamilyMurder #Justice #TrueCrime Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

When an admitted violent offender walks free after 11 felony charges, something in the system is broken. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we expose how Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Act was used to spare 18-year-old Jesse Mack Butler from prison time after pleading no contest to multiple felony charges — including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and strangulation. Police say they found partial phone video of one attack. Medical reports confirmed that one victim required neck surgery after being choked to the edge of death. Despite the brutality, Butler’s case was reclassified from adult felony to Youthful Offender — effectively suspending a 78-year sentence and replacing it with a single year of supervision. Joined by Ret. FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke, Tony breaks down: The timeline of failures that let it happen. The family and community privilege surrounding the case. The behavioral patterns of predators — and those who protect them. Why “no-contest” pleas let defendants avoid public accountability. This is a story about systems that choose reputation over justice, mercy over morality, and silence over truth. 🎙️ New episodes every week — subscribe and turn on notifications for the stories others won’t touch.  #HiddenKillers #JesseButler #YouthfulOffender #StillwaterCase #TrueCrime #JusticeForSurvivors #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #SystemFailure #LegalLoophole Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Eleven felony charges. Two teenage victims. One nearly strangled to death. And somehow—no prison time. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis joins Tony, Stacy, and Todd to unpack how Stillwater, Oklahoma’s justice system transformed one of the state’s most brutal sexual-assault cases into a single year of “rehabilitation.” Eighteen-year-old Jesse Mack Butler was originally charged with rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and assault and battery by strangulation after attacking two 16-year-old girls. Police recovered partial phone-video evidence of the assault; one victim required neck surgery after nearly dying. Because Butler was 17 at the time, his defense argued for Youthful Offender status. The court agreed. A potential 78-year sentence vanished, replaced with one year of supervision. Tony and Eric break down: How a no-contest plea erased accountability. Why prosecutors accepted leniency despite overwhelming evidence. The legal loopholes in Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender statute. Whether empathy or privilege decided the outcome. From both sides of the courtroom—prosecutor and defense—Eric Faddis explains how mercy became protection, how the law failed its victims, and what reforms could stop it from happening again. 🎧 Subscribe for new deep-dive true-crime analysis every week. 💬 Join the discussion: #HiddenKillers #JesseButler #EricFaddis #YouthfulOffender #TrueCrimePodcast Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

The people of Stillwater, Oklahoma, have had enough. Hundreds gathered outside the Payne County Courthouse demanding accountability after Judge Susan Worthington allowed a violent sexual predator to avoid prison. Eighteen-year-old Jesse Butler, charged with eleven felonies including rape, attempted rape, and strangulation, received no prison time under Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Law. Despite partial video evidence and one victim requiring neck surgery, Judge Worthington ruled that Butler qualified for rehabilitation instead of incarceration. The potential 78-year sentence vanished, replaced by a single year of supervision, therapy, and a curfew. The decision ignited outrage across the state. Tribal victim services, survivors, parents, and students rallied together on the courthouse steps, chanting for justice and calling for Judge Worthington’s removal. State lawmakers labeled the ruling “unacceptable” and vowed to review how the system failed so catastrophically. In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, Tony breaks down the story that’s shaken Stillwater to its core — how a judge’s compassion turned into negligence, how leniency for violent predators endangers every community, and why the public’s outrage might finally force real reform. We’ll examine the judicial system that let this happen, the decades-long ties that bind small-town power networks, and the growing call to close legal loopholes that allow violent offenders to hide behind “youthful offender” status. This isn’t about politics. It’s about safety. Because when the system starts protecting predators instead of people, it’s not justice anymore — it’s failure in a robe. Watch the full breakdown and join the conversation in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for more real stories of justice, accountability, and the fight to protect the innocent. #Stillwater #SusanWorthington #JesseButler #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #OklahomaJustice #YouthfulOffender #VictimsRights #JudicialAccountability #TrueCrimeNews Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Two 16-year-old girls were attacked. One was choked unconscious. One nearly died. The evidence was undeniable — partial phone video, medical proof, and multiple felony charges. Yet the court said: “He deserves another chance.” Why? Because he was a “good kid.” Tony Brueski sits down with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott to explore the disturbing cultural conditioning that keeps excusing violent young men — and the devastating psychological toll that leniency takes on survivors. They dive deep into the psychology of denial, family image-protection, and the small-town empathy that shields offenders instead of victims. This isn’t a courtroom story — it’s a cultural mirror. #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #JesseButler #GoodKidNarrative #PsychologyOfDenial #TraumaRecovery #JusticeSystem #ShavaunScott #VictimAdvocacy #PatriarchalPrivilege Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Two cases. Two very different crimes. One system that failed both sets of victims. In this Hidden Killers double feature, Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels sit down with defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis to unpack two stories that expose the cracks in American justice — one soaked in leniency, the other in cruelty. First: Jesse Mack Butler. Eleven felony charges. Two teenage girls. One nearly strangled to death. Video evidence. Doctors saying seconds more and she’d be gone. Yet somehow, Stillwater, Oklahoma’s court system gave him a second chance — turning seventy-eight years of possible prison time into one year of supervision under the Youthful Offender statute. Eric and Tony dig into how the legal definition of “youth” became a shield for violence, how privilege masqueraded as compassion, and how prosecutors and judges rationalized a decision that left two survivors behind. Then: Susan Lorincz.  The Florida woman convicted of shooting Ajike “AJ” Owens through a locked door — killing the mother of four in front of her children. From prison, Lorincz has now written a four-page letter threatening to sue Owens’s children and mother for defamation — accusing them of trespassing, lying, and “ruining her reputation.” Tony and Eric expose the psychological rot behind that letter — how denial becomes control, how narcissism replaces remorse, and how the legal system still lets killers weaponize paperwork against the families they destroyed. Two stories. Same disease.  A justice system too soft on those who harm and too silent for those who suffer. 🎧 Watch both breakdowns in one powerful conversation — legal truth, human cost, and why real justice requires more than conviction. 💬 Join the discussion: #HiddenKillers #JesseButler #SusanLorincz #EricFaddis #TrueCrimePodcast #TonyBrueski #JusticeForAJ #YouthfulOffender #FloridaCrime #OklahomaJustice #CourtTV #VictimBlaming #TrueCrimeToday #LegalAnalysis #HiddenKillersLive Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

A community listened in stunned silence as “Break the Case” examined a decision that many believe defies the gravity of the crimes alleged. In Payne County, Oklahoma, Jesse Mack Butler was accused of serial sexual violence against two young women—identified in criminal complaints as Jane and Sarah—including rape, sodomy with an instrument, oral sodomy, and repeated coercive control. According to the episode, one survivor required neck surgery after alleged strangulation, and a medical assessment noted she was seconds from death. Yet the conclusion stunned observers: a plea that placed Butler under a “youthful offender” status with home confinement, counseling, and the possibility of an expunged record if terms are met. In a state already grappling with trust in its justice system, this outcome landed like breaking news. Host Jennifer Coffindaffer—joined by survivor and advocate Danielle Tudor—delivers a true crime recap that reads like an investigative podcast: urgent, precise, and unflinching. Tudor, who reshaped laws in Oregon and Oklahoma after surviving the “Jogger Rapist,” Richard Gilmore, explains how policy gaps, sentencing discretion, and inconsistent training can turn the promise of justice into a procedural formality. She points to rape kit backlogs, underenforced best-practice training, and sentencing choices that send the wrong message to survivors and offenders alike. The discussion widens to another Oklahoma flashpoint: a Tulsa case where a jury’s decades-long prison recommendation reportedly became probation at sentencing. Names matter in true crime and public accountability, and the episode raises scrutiny of Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas and the bench decisions that enabled a result many call far too lenient. This cinematic news recap dissects how “youthful offender” pathways, counseling-only conditions, and limited registry consequences can collide with the realities of power, control, and escalating violence. It also foregrounds survivor advocacy as a force for reform: mandatory annual law-enforcement training, evidence tracking, backlog elimination, and clearer minimums for violent sex offenses. Listeners will hear how Tudor’s decades-long fight for victims—contrasted with the parole-era lessons from Richard Gilmore—offers a roadmap for Oklahoma’s next legislative session. The episode references broader case comparisons (including public interest in Bryan Kohberger and Ellen Greenberg) to underscore consistent patterns: grooming, strangulation risk, and the critical need for consequences that protect the public and respect victims’ trauma. If you follow true crime, breaking news, and justice reform, this deep-dive is a must-watch. It’s not speculation—it’s a meticulous, on-record conversation that asks the hard questions. Why was a case with such severe allegations resolved with home confinement? What protections exist for victims when violent behavior is minimized by process? And how can communities mobilize—through policy, elections, and oversight—to ensure that sentences reflect the seriousness of the crimes and the enduring harm to survivors? #JesseButler #Oklahoma #PayneCounty #TrueCrime #BreakingNews #JusticeForSurvivors #SexualAssaultAwareness #DanielleTudor #RichardGilmore #YouthfulOffender Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Raw, unedited courtroom coverage from the Latoshia Daniels murder trial. Follow the proceedings as jurors hear how Memphis pastor Brodes Perry was shot to death inside his Collierville apartment and his wife wounded in the attack. Prosecutors allege Latoshia Daniels, his former lover, drove from Arkansas to Tennessee and opened fire after learning the truth behind Perry’s so-called “ethical non-monogamy.” Each recording features the full day’s testimony, witness questioning, objections, rulings, and all live developments direct from the courtroom — presented exactly as they happened, without edits or commentary. #LatoshiaDaniels #BrodesPerry #PreachersSideChickTrial #CourtroomCoverage #LiveTrial #TrueCrime Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Raw, unedited courtroom coverage from the Latoshia Daniels murder trial. Follow the proceedings as jurors hear how Memphis pastor Brodes Perry was shot to death inside his Collierville apartment and his wife wounded in the attack. Prosecutors allege Latoshia Daniels, his former lover, drove from Arkansas to Tennessee and opened fire after learning the truth behind Perry’s so-called “ethical non-monogamy.” Each recording features the full day’s testimony, witness questioning, objections, rulings, and all live developments direct from the courtroom — presented exactly as they happened, without edits or commentary. #LatoshiaDaniels #BrodesPerry #PreachersSideChickTrial #CourtroomCoverage #LiveTrial #TrueCrime Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Raw, unedited courtroom coverage from the Latoshia Daniels murder trial. Follow the proceedings as jurors hear how Memphis pastor Brodes Perry was shot to death inside his Collierville apartment and his wife wounded in the attack. Prosecutors allege Latoshia Daniels, his former lover, drove from Arkansas to Tennessee and opened fire after learning the truth behind Perry’s so-called “ethical non-monogamy.” Each recording features the full day’s testimony, witness questioning, objections, rulings, and all live developments direct from the courtroom — presented exactly as they happened, without edits or commentary. #LatoshiaDaniels #BrodesPerry #PreachersSideChickTrial #CourtroomCoverage #LiveTrial #TrueCrime Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872