Episodios

  • The Cabin, the Chaos & the Concealment — FBI Expert on the Death of Anna Kepner

    The Cabin, the Chaos & the Concealment — FBI Expert on the Death of Anna Kepner
    Dec 1 2025
    This case isn’t just tragic — it’s claustrophobic.
    A cabin.
    A blended family.
    A teenager found hidden under a bed.
    And every adult involved spiraling in a different direction while the FBI tries to reconstruct what happened in those critical early moments.

    Tonight on Hidden Killers, retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins me to break down one of the most complex psychological environments we’ve seen in a long time: the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner on board a cruise ship returning to Miami.

    We start with the concealment.
    Not found in a hallway. Not found collapsed.
    Hidden. Wrapped. Placed under a bed.

    Robin explains what concealment commonly signals in juveniles and why — contrary to popular belief — it doesn’t automatically equate to malicious intent. Panic can look like guilt. Shock can look like deception. Fear can fuel catastrophic decisions.

    Then there’s the 16-year-old stepsibling — the one now labeled a suspect — and his reported claim that he “doesn’t remember what happened” and was an “emotional wreck.” Robin walks us through the behavioral possibilities behind that statement: trauma, dissociation, avoidance, overwhelm, or genuine blackout under stress.

    Next, we dismantle the family chaos that erupted online: the biological mother melting down on TikTok, the grandmother calling it murder, the father staying silent, relatives sniping at each other publicly. Robin explains how investigators sift through emotional noise, identify authentic behavior patterns, and avoid being pulled into the whirlpool of family dysfunction.

    Finally, we look at what matters next: timeline consistency, nonverbal cues from the juvenile, whether stories shift, and what the autopsy reveals about intent, panic, or something in between.

    This is a conversation about behavior, not blame — and it may be the clearest breakdown of this case you’ll hear anywhere.

    #HiddenKillers #AnnaKepner #TrueCrimeAnalysis #RobinDreeke #BehavioralScience #FBIProfiler #CruiseCase #FamilyDynamics #CrimeInvestigation #JuvenileBehavior

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    19 m
  • Criminology or Criminal Mind? Bryan Kohberger and the Myth of the “Perfect Murder” | 2025 Year in Review

    Criminology or Criminal Mind? Bryan Kohberger and the Myth of the “Perfect Murder” | 2025 Year in Review
    Dec 1 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re revisiting the question that haunts this case — can studying crime actually teach someone how to commit it?

    When Bryan Kohberger, a Ph.D. student in criminology, was arrested for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, the irony was inescapable. The man studying the psychology of killers was suddenly accused of becoming one. But what makes this case so disturbing isn’t just the alleged crime — it’s the meticulous planning prosecutors say went into it.

    In this two-part deep dive, Tony Brueski is joined by former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke to dissect the chilling contradictions of Kohberger’s mind and methods.

    Faddis unpacks the mountain of circumstantial evidence: Amazon receipts for a combat knife, face mask, and sheath bought months before the murders; a phone that conveniently “went dark” the night of the killings; license plates swapped just days after; and trash runs in gloves at four in the morning. The prosecution says this wasn’t just murder — it was an attempt at the perfect one. But can a defense argument of social awkwardness or autism spectrum behavior humanize a suspect accused of such precise brutality?

    Then, Dreeke dives into the psychology. What happens when curiosity about crime becomes a compulsion to control? Was Kohberger’s alleged “research” into how criminals feel during their acts a window into his own fascination? From eerily timed online posts to that infamous mirror selfie that mirrors American Psycho and Psycho, Dreeke and Brueski explore how fantasy, narcissism, and obsession may have fused into something monstrous.

    And what about those alleged rap lyrics and digital “breadcrumb trails”? Were they bravado, confession, or taunt? When someone studies the mechanics of murder for years, do they start to believe they can outsmart the system that taught them?

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Psychology, and The Obsession That Defined the Year.

    #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #IdahoMurders #Criminology #AmericanPsycho #AutismDefense #BehavioralAnalysis #CourtroomDrama #PerfectMurder #CriminalPsychology #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday

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    40 m
  • Lori Vallow Daybell: The Doomsday Defense Crumbles | 2025 Year in Review Special:

    Lori Vallow Daybell: The Doomsday Defense Crumbles | 2025 Year in Review Special:
    Dec 1 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit the opening week of one of the most sensational murder trials in America — the Arizona case of Lori Vallow Daybell, the self-proclaimed “Doomsday Mom” now defending herself against charges of conspiracy to murder her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

    In this two-part breakdown, Tony Brueski teams up with former prosecutor and defense attorney Eric Faddis and retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Chief Robin Dreeke to unpack the chaotic courtroom drama, bizarre legal strategy, and psychological meltdown that have turned this trial into both a legal cautionary tale and a study in delusional self-belief.

    In part one, Tony and Eric dissect the prosecution’s sharp, disciplined opening statement — a methodical narrative of motive, manipulation, and murder. Prosecutors allege Lori conspired with her brother, Alex Cox, to eliminate Charles for a $1 million life insurance policy and clear the path to marry apocalyptic author Chad Daybell. With evidence including religious texts misused to justify killing, texts to Alex invoking scripture (“I will be like Nephi”), and forensic proof that Charles was shot twice — one bullet fired after he collapsed, the state paints a chilling picture of faith twisted into fanaticism.

    Then comes the chaos. Lori, representing herself, opens with rambling monologues, misplaced objections, and narcissistic cross-examinations that seem designed more to satisfy curiosity than to construct a defense. Her fixation on her late husband’s private life leaves jurors bewildered and prosecutors almost amused. As Faddis notes, “It’s like watching someone try to build a house without knowing what a hammer does.”

    Part two turns darker, as Robin Dreeke analyzes the devastating testimony of Alex Cox, now deceased but still very much present in the trial through recordings, statements, and evidence. Dreeke explores how narcissism, shared delusion, and familial loyalty intertwine in Lori’s world — and how her brother’s past words now serve as the prosecution’s most powerful witness.

    Was Lori’s courtroom confidence a sign of faith — or pure delusion? And how does a woman who once claimed divine authority handle being her own undoing?

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Trials, The Psychology, and The Crimes That Defined the Year.


    #LoriVallowDaybell #CharlesVallow #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #DoomsdayMom #CultPsychology #CourtroomDrama #SelfRepresentation #ChadDaybell #FamilyConspiracy #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    34 m
  • Rex Heuermann’s “Hero” Moment: The Family, the Denial & the Psychology of Living With a Monster | 2025 Year in Review

    Rex Heuermann’s “Hero” Moment: The Family, the Denial & the Psychology of Living With a Monster | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 29 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re diving into one of the most disturbing intersections of true crime and psychology yet — the family of Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, and their shocking public defense of a man prosecutors call one of the most prolific murderers in modern history.

    In this powerful two-part special, Tony Brueski unpacks the emotional, psychological, and ethical fallout from Peacock’s new documentary The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets — including Asa Ellerup’s chilling confession that she still calls her accused killer husband her “hero.”

    Heuermann’s family — wife Asa, daughter Victoria, and son Christopher — sit down for the first time on camera, describing their life before and after the 2023 arrest that turned their world upside down. Despite overwhelming forensic evidence — including DNA links, hair fibers from family members found on victims, and a manifesto allegedly detailing murder methods — Asa insists on her husband’s innocence, calling prison visits their “first dates.”

    Tony Brueski explores how denial, trauma bonding, and cognitive dissonance shape these responses — and why victims’ families are calling the documentary “a slap in the face.” Legal experts weigh in on the $1 million payday allegedly tied to the family’s cooperation and how this could spark an expansion of New York’s Son of Sam laws to block profiting from criminal notoriety.

    Then, retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke joins Tony to analyze how killers like Heuermann hide in plain sight — and how families miss the signs. Dreeke explains the “truth-default state,” why spouses detect lies only about half the time, and how suburban normalcy becomes the perfect camouflage for horror.

    The conversation delves into the terrifying psychology of compartmentalization, exploring how someone can live a double life so convincing that even their loved ones see only the mask. From Heuermann’s alleged burner phones to his meticulous planning during family trips, it’s a case study in deception — and the human mind’s desperate need to believe what feels safe.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Psychology, and The Families That Shook America.

    #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeachMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #SerialKillerFamily #PsychologicalDenial #HouseOfSecrets #LISK #CriminalPsychology #SonOfSamLaw #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    42 m
  • The Cult of Diddy: Why Silence Protected a Predator | 2025 Year in Review

    The Cult of Diddy: Why Silence Protected a Predator | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 28 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re peeling back the layers of one of the most disturbing psychological power structures ever exposed in celebrity culture — the world of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

    In this gripping two-part special, Tony Brueski and retired FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke dive deep into how fear, manipulation, and emotional dependency built an empire of silence around Diddy for decades.

    Why didn’t more people speak up sooner? Dreeke reveals the three psychological levers that kept Diddy’s inner circle compliant — even as the behavior around them crossed moral and legal lines. From fear-based loyalty and financial entanglement to the illusion of belonging, Dreeke dissects how coercive control can transform a celebrity brand into a psychological fortress.

    This episode doesn’t just explore the headlines — it exposes the mechanics behind them. How does a person with immense power and charisma create a reality distortion field so strong that people rationalize the unthinkable? How do those closest to the source of abuse convince themselves they’re “protected,” when in truth, they’re prisoners of influence?

    Drawing from FBI behavioral science and decades of fieldwork, Dreeke and Brueski connect Diddy’s alleged patterns to cult-style leadership psychology, trauma bonding, and the weaponization of loyalty. They break down how abusers in positions of fame exploit human nature’s deepest needs — safety, validation, and identity — to ensure silence and complicity.

    This isn’t just a celebrity scandal. It’s a case study in toxic leadership, groupthink, and the quiet, corrosive power of fear. It’s about how one man allegedly turned charisma into control — and how those around him, knowingly or not, became part of the machine that protected him.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases That Exposed Power, Silence, and the Psychology of Control.

    #DiddyTrial #SeanCombs #RobinDreeke #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #CoerciveControl #CultDynamics #CelebrityAbuse #ToxicLeadership #PowerAndControl #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday


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    15 m
  • ​Bryan Kohberger’s Selfie of Darkness: The Trophy, the Knife, and the Mind of a Killer | 2025 Year in Review

    ​Bryan Kohberger’s Selfie of Darkness: The Trophy, the Knife, and the Mind of a Killer | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 28 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re revisiting one of the most chilling — and hauntingly bizarre — developments in the ongoing Bryan Kohberger case: the alleged “selfie of satisfaction” and the disturbing digital trail that may reveal the psychology of a killer.

    Newly surfaced evidence points to a digital footprint as unsettling as the crime itself — including an Amazon order history allegedly showing a combat knife, matching sheath, and sharpener purchased months before the Idaho student murders. And then, the image: a post-crime selfie of Kohberger, freshly showered, clean-shaven, giving a thumbs-up in a bright white shirt. Was it arrogance? A trophy? Or the hollow ritual of someone reliving what they’d just done?

    In this Hidden Killers special, Tony Brueski is joined by retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer and former FBI Behavioral Unit Chief Robin Dreeke to break down how both the digital evidence and the alleged photo may expose Kohberger’s deeper pathology.

    Coffindaffer unpacks the forensic side — why a knife sharpener might have been part of the prep, and how such a detail reflects a disturbing level of forethought. Dreeke dives into the behavioral side, exploring how narcissism, ritual, and the need for control manifest in offenders like Kohberger. Together, they ask the question no one wants to answer: could he have been planning for more?

    We also explore how the selfie itself might play in court — not as a smoking gun, but as a powerful psychological weapon. Could prosecutors use it to humanize the horror for jurors? Could the surviving roommates recognize it as a chilling echo of the man they may have glimpsed that night?

    From his alleged shopping habits to his eerie self-portrait, this is the story of a man who may have thought he could control every variable — except his own digital reflection.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, the Minds, and the Evidence That Defined the Year.


    #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer #RobinDreeke #TrueCrimePodcast #IdahoMurders #CriminalPsychology #KnifeEvidence #ForensicAnalysis #CourtroomDrama #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #JusticeForVictims


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    31 m
  • Rex Heuermann: The Suburban Monster & the System That Looked Away | 2025 Year in Review

    Rex Heuermann: The Suburban Monster & the System That Looked Away | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 27 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re revisiting one of the darkest and most complex cases in modern true crime — the alleged double life of Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer who managed to live a picture-perfect suburban existence while allegedly committing unthinkable crimes.

    In this gripping two-part special, Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke unravel how Heuermann allegedly concealed a predatory world behind the mask of a mild-mannered architect. Dreeke dissects the psychological mechanics of deception — how a man can manipulate his own family into overlooking chaos, maintain the illusion of normalcy, and exploit society’s indifference toward marginalized victims.

    How do you hide something this horrifying in plain sight?
    By preying on a culture that doesn’t look too closely.

    The conversation dives deep into the psychology of incremental abnormality — how small behavioral shifts go unnoticed until the monster is fully formed. From the quiet control of his household to the alleged targeting of sex trafficking victims society ignored, Dreeke exposes the chilling behavioral blueprint of a man who thrived in the shadows of neglect.

    Then, the focus turns to Suffolk County’s corruption problem — one that may have allowed this case to fester for over a decade. Enter James Burke, the disgraced former police chief whose own scandals — including beating a suspect over stolen porn and sex toys — helped derail the Gilgo investigation for years. With former DA Thomas Spota later indicted for obstruction and witness tampering, the question becomes unavoidable: Did law enforcement’s rot give a serial killer room to operate?

    The episode also examines Asa Ellerup’s new public comments following Netflix’s Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer. Heuermann’s ex-wife isn’t pushing conspiracy theories — but she’s asking questions. Could her husband be a fall guy for a broken system? With DNA evidence hinging on a controversial technique called whole genome sequencing, the courts now face a precedent-setting decision that could make or break the case.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Crimes, The Corruption, and The Psychology That Defined the Year.


    #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeachMurders #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #AsaEllerup #JamesBurke #SuffolkCounty #TrueCrimePodcast #Corruption #SerialKillerCase #YearInReview #JusticeForVictims #TrueCrimeToday

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    46 m
  • Inside the Mind of Sean “Diddy” Combs: Power, Control & the Psychology of Alleged Abuse | 2025 Year in Review

    Inside the Mind of Sean “Diddy” Combs: Power, Control & the Psychology of Alleged Abuse | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 27 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit one of the most shocking and psychologically revealing cases of the year — the federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, where allegations of manipulation, coercive control, and psychological abuse have redefined how power, fame, and fear intertwine.

    In this full-length special, Tony Brueski sits down with psychotherapist Shavaun Scott and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke for a two-part deep dive into the disturbing behavioral patterns emerging from the trial — and the psychology of a man accused of wielding control like a weapon.

    Shavaun Scott breaks down ten key psychological tactics allegedly used by Combs against Cassie Ventura, as detailed in testimony and filings: covert manipulation, emotional isolation, threats, intimidation, extortion through explicit material, and the gradual dismantling of personal autonomy. She explains how high-profile abusers create invisible cages — systems of dependence and fear that trap victims even under the public eye.

    Then, Robin Dreeke analyzes the case from a behavioral intelligence perspective — mapping how powerful figures maintain a dual identity: adored in public, feared in private. From the alleged use of surveillance and financial control to the orchestration of silence among inner-circle members, Dreeke exposes how a “high-functioning predator” can operate unchecked for decades.

    The discussion also explores the psychology of complicity — how enablers and bystanders become part of the abuse cycle, whether through fear, loyalty, or career survival. Both experts highlight the chilling consistency between Combs’ alleged conduct and established behavioral profiles of coercive narcissists and organized abusers.

    This is more than a celebrity scandal. It’s a clinical case study in power addiction, psychological dominance, and the systemic failures that allow fame to mask abuse.

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases Where Power, Psychology, and Justice Collided.


    #DiddyTrial #CassieVentura #SeanCombs #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #ShavaunScott #RobinDreeke #PsychologicalAbuse #CoerciveControl #CelebrityCrime #PowerAndControl #TrueCrimePodcast #BehavioralAnalysis #YearInReview #JusticeForSurvivors #TrueCrimeToday


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    45 m