D4VD & Laken Snelling: Panic, Denial & Disaster, How Young Minds Destroy Their Lives in Seconds

There are stories that make you question your faith in the system — and then there’s Aaron Spencer’s story. In October 2024, a decorated Army veteran from Lonoke County, Arkansas, woke to find his 14-year-old daughter gone. Her bed was staged with a decoy hoodie, her dog was barking, and every instinct in his body told him the unthinkable had happened. The man charged with stalking and assaulting her — 67-year-old Michael Fosler — had taken her again. Here’s the part that will make your blood boil: Fosler was already facing 43 felony charges for child exploitation, grooming, and sexual indecency with a minor — this same child. He’d been arrested, charged, and then released by Judge Barbara Elmore on just $5,000 bond. The prosecutor of record, John Huggins, agreed to the terms. There was no ankle monitor, no high-risk supervision, no meaningful enforcement of the “no contact” order. That decision almost cost a girl her life. When Aaron Spencer found Fosler’s truck on a dark Arkansas highway, his daughter was inside. He confronted the man, who refused to comply, grabbed for her again, and lunged. Aaron fired — ending the threat and saving his child. The next day, he was charged with second-degree murder and a firearm enhancement, facing up to 45 years. The same officials who freed the predator are now trying to bury the father. This episode exposes a catastrophic failure of the justice system — a prosecutor and judge whose decisions directly led to a child’s kidnapping, a gag order that silenced the truth for months, and a father who did what they refused to do: protect his family. Now, Spencer is fighting back — not just in court, but on the ballot. He’s running for sheriff of Lonoke County to fix the system that failed his daughter. It’s not just a case. It’s a referendum on justice itself. #AaronSpencer #ArkansasJustice #ChildProtection #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #JusticeSystemFailure #BarbaraElmore #JohnHuggins #FreeAaronSpencer #SystemAccountability 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 police found the body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the musician known as D4vd, it didn’t just expose a horrifying crime scene — it exposed a psychological collapse. A moment where fear, immaturity, and denial replaced logic. In this episode, Tony Brueski sits down with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott to examine the psychology of impulsive concealment — why young people in crisis make catastrophic, irrational choices that they somehow believe will “fix” the problem. Why would anyone think a body in a frunk wouldn’t be found? Why do young adults underestimate consequences, even when the evidence is literally sitting in plain sight? And what does this say about a generation raised on instant validation and social-media performance? This isn’t a story about criminal genius. It’s about panic. About the under-developed prefrontal cortex that governs judgment and foresight — and how, when terror strikes, it simply shuts down. Together, Tony and Shavaun unpack what neuroscience, fear, and shame can do to the human mind when reality feels too big to face. If you’ve ever wondered why some people make the worst decisions imaginable under pressure, this conversation will change how you think about crime, youth, and consequence. #HiddenKillers #D4vd #CelesteRivasHernandez #TrueCrimePodcast #PsychologyOfCrime #ImpulsiveCrimes #ShavaunScott #TonyBrueski #BrainDevelopment #CrimeAndPsychology 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

In a powerful new conversation, Alivia Goncalves — sister of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims in the University of Idaho murders — is breaking her silence about her private meeting with prosecutors and investigators in Lewiston, Idaho in an interview with Brian Entin. We discuss what she revealed to him. For the first time, Alivia shares what really happened behind closed doors on October 6th, when she sat alone across from members of the prosecution team, Idaho State Police, and Moscow PD — determined to learn everything she could about her sister’s murder and the evidence against Bryan Kohberger. In this emotional, revealing discussion, Alivia describes the meeting as “traumatizing but necessary.” She opens up about what it was like to see key evidence firsthand — including the full surveillance timeline tracking Kohberger’s movements from 3:00 to 4:20 a.m., the cell tower CAST data showing 23 visits to the victims’ home, and even one carefully redacted crime scene photo. She also talks about the moment prosecutor Bill Thompson admitted he couldn’t guarantee that sensitive images would never leak — a moment that pushed her to face the unthinkable rather than risk being blindsided online later. Alivia reveals new context about Kohberger’s Amazon knife purchase, the witness list including one of his sisters, and her reaction to recently unsealed Washington State University reports detailing multiple complaints from women who said Kohberger made them feel unsafe. But the heart of this story isn’t just the evidence — it’s Alivia’s ongoing mission. She’s building a digital archive to preserve the full truth of what happened to Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan — to protect their legacy from conspiracy theories and online distortion. This is a story about strength, truth, and the fight to keep reality intact. #BryanKohberger #KayleeGoncalves #IdahoMurders #MoscowIdaho #AliviaGoncalves #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #UniversityOfIdaho #JusticeForKaylee #TonyBrueski 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 crimes. Two young lives. Two moments of sheer panic that turned fatal. A musician whose Tesla held the body of a missing 15-year-old.  A college cheerleader who hid her newborn in a closet, then went out for fast food. In this extended Hidden Killers episode, Tony Brueski and psychotherapist Shavaun Scott dissect the chilling psychology behind both the D4vd / Celeste Rivas Hernandez and Laken Snelling cases — revealing how fear, shame, and an underdeveloped brain can twist reality into delusion. Why do young people believe they can hide what can’t be hidden? What happens in the mind when panic flips the switch from reason to denial? And what does neuroscience tell us about the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain that’s supposed to see the bigger picture — simply not being ready yet? This isn’t about monsters. It’s about immaturity, fear, and the illusion of control. It’s about how a single impulsive act — followed by a catastrophic cover-up — can change everything. Raw, honest, and psychologically deep, this episode shows that the scariest thing about these crimes isn’t the violence. It’s how human the decisions behind them really are. #HiddenKillers #D4vd #LakenSnelling #TrueCrime #PsychologyOfCrime #ShavaunScott #TonyBrueski #ImpulseControl #BrainDevelopment #FearAndDenial 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 the gavel came down and the jury pronounced Donna Adelson guilty of first-degree murder, it should’ve been the end of the story. But for Donna—the matriarch at the center of Florida’s most infamous murder-for-hire plot—it was only the beginning of a new obsession: the appeal. In this episode of Hidden Killers, Tony Brueski breaks down the cold, technical road Donna faces as she fights for a retrial, dissecting the difference between emotional theater and the unforgiving machinery of Florida appellate law. From her denied motion for a new trial to the looming question of whether juror misconduct or “cumulative error” could rescue her case, we dig into what it really takes to overturn a conviction this airtight. You’ll hear how appellate judges view claims of insufficient evidence, how Florida courts handle high-profile conspiracy verdicts, and why the odds are stacked against her. But beyond the courtroom filings lies something deeper—the psychology of control. Even behind bars, Donna’s need to dominate every narrative lives on through her legal maneuvers. What happens when a lifetime narcissist finally meets a system she can’t manipulate? Is her appeal a fight for justice—or just another performance from someone who’s never accepted accountability? Tony unpacks not only the legal mechanics of her appeal but the psychology driving it—the collapse of control, the rewriting of reality, and the quiet delusion that still fuels her belief she can bend the system to her will. If you think the story ended with a verdict, think again. This is what happens when narcissistic power collides with the rule of law—and loses. #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #AdelsonFamily #TrueCrime #Appeal #Narcissism #HiddenKillers #FloridaJustice #LegalAnalysis #PsychologicalBreakdown 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

Brian Walshe was supposed to be on trial this week. But instead of jury selection and evidence, we got a mental health evaluation. Instead of justice for Ana Walshe, we got another delay. In this episode, we break down exactly how Brian Walshe — the Massachusetts man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife — managed to hit pause on his own trial just days before it was set to begin. The reason? His attorneys claim he’s no longer competent to stand trial, citing “mental and physical decline” following a jailhouse stabbing. But let’s look at the pattern here. This is the same man who told police his wife left for a work emergency — when he knew she hadn’t. The same man caught on surveillance buying mops, tarps, and cleaning supplies the day after she vanished. The same man who googled “how to dispose of a body” on a child’s iPad. And now he’s too unwell to face a jury? We’re digging into the forensic timeline, the legal maneuvers, and the broader psychology of a man who appears to be using the legal system not to defend himself — but to delay the inevitable. Because in a case without a body, time is leverage. Delay is strategy. And every new excuse buys him more of both. This isn’t just about a competency evaluation. It’s about a pattern of control, manipulation, and deflection — the same pattern that’s been playing out since the moment Ana disappeared. So how long can he run the clock? And will the system ever hold him to it? Watch now — because justice may be patient, but it doesn't wait forever. #AnaWalshe #BrianWalshe #TrueCrimePodcast #HiddenKillers #ForensicPsychology #MurderTrial #JusticeDelayed #CompetencyHearing #TrueCrimeCommunity #LegalStrategy 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 23-year-old Kada Scott disappeared after her shift at a Philadelphia nursing home, her family knew something was wrong. She’d been getting harassing phone calls. She told people she was being followed. And then — silence. Two weeks later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave behind an abandoned middle school. This wasn’t just a missing-person case. It was a preventable tragedy. In this episode, we walk through the case that’s now shaking the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office — not just because of what happened, but because of what didn’t. The man charged in connection with Kada’s disappearance, 21-year-old Keon King, had been arrested earlier this year for an eerily similar stalking and kidnapping case. That case? Dropped when the victim didn’t testify. No follow-up. No prosecution. No protection. Now, prosecutors say King didn’t just abduct Kada — they say he tampered with evidence, burned a stolen car, and may not have acted alone. Conspiracy charges have been filed. Homicide charges are pending. And the DA is publicly admitting: “We could have done better.” This is the story of how the system missed the warning signs — and how a predator was allowed to roam free. We break down the forensic timeline, the new charges, and the broader investigation now underway. We also honor Kada — who she was, what she did right, and why this case demands more than justice. It demands accountability. If you’ve ever wondered how a case like this unfolds — and why it didn’t have to end this way — this is the episode. #KadaScott #KeonKing #TrueCrime #PhiladelphiaCrime #JusticeForKada #CrimePodcast #HiddenKillers #VictimsMatter #DAKrasner #CrimeInvestigation 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

It’s one of those stories that makes you stop and ask — what the hell happened to justice? In Lonoke County, Arkansas, Aaron Spencer — a father who allegedly shot a known predator he found with his 14-year-old daughter — isn’t being hailed as a hero. He’s being prosecuted for second-degree murder. Meanwhile, the same system that failed to protect his child seems more determined to protect its own image. The man he shot, Michael Fosler, wasn’t a mystery to law enforcement. His record included sexual indecency with a child and online predation charges. Yet somehow, he was still free — free enough to allegedly lure a teenage girl onto a dark rural road. Police say when Spencer found them together, he reacted the way any terrified father might. Now, that reaction could send him to prison. And here’s where it gets even more surreal: Aaron Spencer is now running for sheriff — against the very department that arrested him. His campaign slogan: “Restoring Trust.” For many in Lonoke County, that message hits harder than any political ad. They see a broken system, a failed chain of protection, and a father who finally drew a line the system refused to. So why is this happening? Why does a man who defended his daughter face murder charges, while the institutions that failed her face none? Joining me is Defense Attorney and Former Prosecutor Bob Motta — host of Defense Diaries and BURIED: Inside the John Wayne Gacy Investigation — to unpack how a story of survival turned into a political and legal firestorm.   Hosted by Tony Brueski | Guest: Bob Motta Subscribe for more true-crime conversations that expose the system behind the stories. 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

There’s a kind of cruelty that doesn’t end with a conviction. It’s quieter — colder — and it shows up in the fine print of legal filings long after the headlines fade. Convicted killer Bryan Kohberger, now serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, has found a new way to wound the families of his victims — by refusing to pay them the restitution the court ordered. In a stunning October filing, Kohberger’s defense argued he shouldn’t have to pay because the victims’ families received donations through GoFundMe. That’s right — he’s trying to use the kindness of strangers as a legal loophole to get out of paying what he owes. His lawyers claim the families “did not suffer an economic loss” because they were “extensively funded” through public generosity. It’s a move that feels less like a legal argument and more like one final act of control from a man who’s spent every step of this process refusing to take accountability. The same man who broke into 1122 King Road that November night and took four young lives is now arguing over dollars and decimals from his prison cell. But here’s the deeper truth: this isn’t about money — it’s about power. About the narcissistic offender’s need to stay relevant, to twist the knife one last time, even when the world’s stopped listening. The Goncalves and Mogen families, who’ve already endured the unthinkable, are being forced to re-engage with a man who should’ve faded into the background of justice months ago. This episode of Hidden Killers breaks down the legal, psychological, and moral layers of Kohberger’s final insult — how it exposes the pathology of control, entitlement, and complete emotional detachment that’s defined him from the start. Because for Bryan Kohberger, the violence never really stopped. It just changed form. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #CrimePsychology #JusticeForIdaho4 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

There are stories we think we know — and then there’s the John Wayne Gacy case. The killer clown. The crawl space. The 33 victims. But BURIED: Inside the John Wayne Gacy Investigation exposes what the public never heard — the story behind the story. In this conversation, criminal defense attorney Bob Motta joins me to go inside his groundbreaking podcast BURIED, featuring the remastered Gacy tapes — real recordings of John Wayne Gacy speaking with his defense attorneys, including Motta’s own father, Robert Motta Sr., who defended Gacy during his insanity trial. For decades, these tapes were locked away, unheard by the public. Now, they’ve been restored with pristine clarity — revealing not just Gacy’s chilling words, but the inner workings of the investigation that brought him down. We dig into the revelations that shook even the detectives who worked the case — shocking admissions, hidden police files, and details from evidence logs that tell a different story than the official narrative. BURIED isn’t another Gacy biography — it’s an investigation into the investigation itself, uncovering how systemic bias, bad assumptions, and desperation shaped one of the most infamous manhunts in American history. If you’ve seen Devil in Disguise on Peacock, this conversation goes even deeper — beyond the horror, into the human failures that let Gacy kill for so long. This is justice under a microscope. And it’s a story that will make you question everything you thought you knew about the Gacy case. #JohnWayneGacy #BobMotta #BuriedPodcast #DefenseDiaries #TrueCrimePodcast #HiddenKillers #SerialKillerFiles #TheGacyTapes #TrueCrimeCommunity #JusticeUncovered 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