This week, Dr. Shiloh & Dr. Scott review the Sandra Birchmore case and then examine the problem of sexual abuse in America Police Explorer programs. They look at sexual crime power bases, behavioral drift, how this is similar to the research on teacher-student sexual abuse and what can be done about it; before looking at two other high profrile cases.

This week the docs take a brief jaunt OUT of Los Angeles to the sunny and gorgeous sands of Hollywood’s Desert Playground - aka  Palm Springs. Although a year round destination for relaxation and glamour, there are dark aspects among the glittering sapphire pools of the Oasis of the Desert’s past. After all, a place with golden age ties to Hollywood is bound to have some sordid stories to tell - case in point: the tumultuous life of Tom Neal, a promising Hollywood actor in the late 1930s, groomed to be the next Clark Gable. Despite several attempts to reinvent himself over the years, his desperation and addiction led to business failures, scandal and a brutal murder.

This week the docs dive into the murky pool of "Body Language Experts" to discuss the explosion of self proclaimed subject matter experts on a field that lacks empirical evidence. The success of the 2009 American television series "Lie To Me" brought widespread attention to the dubious field of deception detection through body language, facial expressions, and micro-expressions, encouraging many people with both legitimate science, law enforcement and military backgrounds to present as experts:  Since 2009, the world has seen an explosion of body language experts writing books, charging exorbitant fees for speaking engagements and popping up as talking heads on info-tainment shows that have a nexus with true crime. But, is it a thing? Like a REAL thing? Join the docs for a review of the evidence for and against this emerging field.

Bullying in American schools from elementary education through the college years has gained a LOT of traction over the past few decades: attention that is much needed and very much delayed due to characteristics of a culture that has accepted these terrible behaviors. Mental health and risk assessment professionals have brought more light to this topic making difficult and complex conversations more likely to occur than in the past. From threatening and coercive behaviors to outright criminal acts, bullying has morphed into a hybrid set of actions that take place IRL AND in the digital world of e communication and social media.

Today we are covering a very misunderstood disorder and the very small space it has overlapped with the criminal justice system. We explain what Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is NOT and review the many faces of OCD including Harm OCD, Pedophilia OCD, and Relationship OCD. We also get into some interesting cases in which defense teams' experts have tried to use OCD as an excuse for criminal behavior.

In this episode, the docs refer back to their original episode #28  on the phenomenon of shared delusion.  What do the Slenderman attack, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybed and Ruby Franke have in common? All of them exhibit significantly altered thinking and beliefs that unfortunately caused tragedy and trauma to the children in their path.

While thankfully rare, Necrophilia, the act of sexual abuse of the deceased, has a long and storied history. Through myth, legend, history, psychological and criminal classifications, this Paraphilia inhabits one of the most disturbing and dark corners of the human psyche. This week, the docs go deep into history, research and case studies of Carl Tanzler and Karen Greenlee to explore a rare and disquieting practice that is a far outlier on the constellation of sexuality.

This week the docs tackle case studies and psychological motivations for the development of extremism within US military and law enforcement. The growing threat of extremism presents a substantial threat to the security of the US as a nation and on the community level with law enforcement.  Some of the most notorious extremists in the U.S. military are responsible for the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, brutal racially oriented murders by soldiers at Fort Bragg and the Fort Hood shootings by a jihadist military psychiatrist. Extremism within law enforcement presents a dual threat that impacts both the integrity of the profession and the trust crucial for building effective relationships with the community.

The doctors are back in! We ease back into regular episodes with some interesting updates and news stories from some of our most explosive topics including QAnon, Familicide, and Sovereign Citizens. 

This week the docs review the true crime documentary, “I AM VANESSA GUILLEN”. The doc is a 2022 Netflix original directed by Christy Wegener that recounts the horrific story of a young U.S. soldier who was brutally murdered at Fort Hood military base by another soldier. As well as guiding the audience through the brutal commission of the crime, the documentary also follows Vanessa’s family - who are determined to reveal the truth of their daughter’s experience of assault by taking their case all the way to Congress.

This week, the docs explore the psychology behind groups of people acting out in violent and sometimes murderous ways while taking justice into their own hands. They cover a brief history of lynch mobs in the US, before revisiting vigilantism and look at "mob mentality" before covering a couple of case studies.

This week, the docs delve into the sequence of events that precipitated the tragic and disastrous "Zoot Suit" riots in Los Angeles. Despite the Zoot Suit riots receiving far less attention than deserved in the annals of the civil rights struggle in the United States, they represent a pivotal moment in both Los Angeles and national history. The docs investigate how the media exacerbated tensions by demonizing the Latino community, while also shedding light on the pervasive racism and marginalization perpetuated by industry and law enforcement through opinion pieces.

As requested by listeners, we take a look at Copycat Crimes by discussing news and fictional media influences, low-level neighborhood crime, mass shootings, and case studies of infamous murders that inspired other killers.

This week we watched and reviewed the CNN (now on MAX) documentary, Chowchilla. In the late 70's, in the farming town of Chowchilla, California, 26 children and their school bus driver were stopped in the middle of a rural road by three armed men. The men systematically kidnapped the driver and the children and sequestered them in a dark and virtually airless truck trailer and then buried them. While all of the victims survived, they have spent their lives dealing with a multitude of symptoms of trauma and we get to hear from them in this truly bizarre tale.

This week the docs dive into the subject of "Sovereign Citizens," individuals or groups in the United States, and increasingly, around the globe who adhere to a fringe legal theory asserting that they are not subject to the authority of government entities. In Part 2, the docs review the research literature and discuss Sovereign Citizens' engagement with law enforcement, court systems and the general public and the mental gymnastics have moved this once fringe movement into violence.

This week the docs dive into the subject of "Sovereign Citizens," individuals or groups in the United States, and increasingly, around the globe who adhere to a fringe legal theory asserting that they are not subject to the authority of government entities. In Part 1, the docs discuss the history of the Sovereign Citizen movement and the basics of the ideology that lends to wild and frustrating antics.

Please enjoy this conversation with Eric Carter-Landin of the True Consequences podcast from 2021. Eric's baby brother, Jacob, was killed 36 years ago by his mother's boyfriend and he has never been charged. The case remains "unsolved" and without justice. Today's release is updated with a statement from Eric on his fight for justice.

This week the docs review the one - episode documentary entitled "Hell Camp." It's a fascinating and necessary subject that falls somewhat flat in its narrative structure while still illuminating a dark chapter in the recent US history of behavioral modification and "personal growth" wilderness camps. While the sales pitch of Steve Cartisano's wilderness camp entitled Challenger Foundation sold a bill of goods to frustrated parents across the US; a way to control and re-make their "out-of-control" teens, the kids' experience at the wilderness camp in the harsh Utah desert was a nightmare.

This week in the follow-up episode to Behind the Collar Part 1: Crime of the Clergy, the docs discuss the consequences of religious trauma & violence by digging into the research and reviewing some victims' stories. They also discuss the disparity between how male and female victims are treated after they report and how to empower children to learn critical thinking skills as another layer of reducing victimhood.