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Debate The News: True Crime

Debate The News: True Crime

By: Debate The News: True Crime
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Debate the News: True Crime, hosted by Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco, brings listeners in-depth coverage of current and past true crime cases in an innovative, debate-style format. Each episode brings together a dynamic panel of sharp-witted community members to debate and dissect cases as they unfold – all in a bold, fact-driven style that pulls no punches. The show is recorded live on the Chatter Social app at 7PM (Eastern Time) every Tuesday and Thursday night. Listeners can join in on the conversation and listen to the live recording by downloading the Chatter Social app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store. Shows recorded on Tuesday nights are released as a podcast episode at midnight on Thursday. Shows recorded on Thursday nights are released as a podcast episode at midnight the following Tuesday.Copyright 2026 Debate The News: True Crime Politics & Government Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • The Death of Shanquella Robinson
    Jan 13 2026

    How did a birthday trip to Cabo San Lucas end with Shanquella Robinson dead in less than 24 hours? Why did her travel companions initially claim “alcohol poisoning” — and how did a viral assault video, conflicting autopsy findings, and a stalled U.S.–Mexico extradition fight turn the Shanquella Robinson case into one of the most haunting true crime mysteries of 2022?

    In this episode, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco revisit the death of 25‑year‑old Shanquella Robinson in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, breaking down the “Cabo Six” timeline, the shocking cell phone assault video, Mexico’s femicide arrest warrant, the FBI Charlotte investigation, and why U.S. federal prosecutors declined to file charges. This true crime podcast discussion explores the cross‑border legal roadblocks, the critical autopsy discrepancies between Mexico and North Carolina, and how the Robinson family’s wrongful death lawsuit may be the last path to uncovering what really happened inside that Cabo villa.

    Tune in to hear:

    October 28–29, 2022 – Cabo San Lucas birthday trip turns deadly: Shanquella Robinson travels from Charlotte, North Carolina to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with six friends, is assaulted in a luxury villa the morning of October 29, and is later found unresponsive; after a delayed call for help, a doctor arrives, her condition deteriorates, and she is pronounced dead that evening.

    October 29, 2022 – The hours that raise the hardest questions: Investigators’ timeline places the altercation around 7:00–7:30 AM, a housekeeper finds Shanquella unresponsive around midday, and the group reportedly calls for medical help around 2:15 PM — setting up a major debate about delayed aid, negligence, and preventable loss of life.

    October 30, 2022 – The “alcohol poisoning” story and the family’s suspicions: Shanquella’s travel companions return to the U.S., bring her luggage to her family, and tell her mother, Celand Robinson, that she died from alcohol poisoning — a claim that quickly clashes with what investigators and reports later indicate.

    Mid‑November 2022 – The viral assault video that changed everything: A disturbing cell phone video leaks and spreads online, appearing to show Shanquella being beaten while others watch, contradicting early claims about her death and igniting international outrage and demands for justice.

    October–November 2022 – Mexican autopsy findings and a “violent” manner of death: Mexican medical examiners conduct a partial autopsy and record findings that point to a violent death, including severe spinal cord injury and “atlas luxation” — escalating the case into a homicide investigation.

    November 2022 – Mexico issues a femicide arrest warrant and seeks extradition: Mexican authorities identify a primary female aggressor and obtain an arrest warrant on femicide charges, while an extradition request and international alerts collide with the reality that the “Cabo Six” are already back in the United States.

    November 2022 – The FBI Charlotte investigation and tips about possible evidence: The FBI opens a parallel investigation, fields tips describing injuries and possible surveillance cameras, and coordinates with Mexican authorities as the case becomes a cross‑border legal standoff.

    November 17, 2022 – The U.S. autopsy conflict that reshapes the case: The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s office performs an autopsy in North Carolina, reporting no spinal cord injury or broken neck and ultimately listing the cause of death as “undetermined” — creating a pivotal forensic contradiction that complicates prosecution and extradition.

    March–April 2023 – Calls for federal action and DOJ declines to prosecute: Family attorneys (including Ben Crump and Sue Ann Robinson) urge U.S. intervention, but on April 12, 2023, the Department of Justice and FBI inform the family...

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    48 mins
  • The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
    Jan 8 2026

    What happened to 18-year-old Natalee Holloway after she vanished on a 2005 graduation trip to Aruba—and why did the case remain unresolved for nearly two decades? Did investigators miss critical opportunities in the first hours, and can the public trust anything Joran van der Sloot has ever said after years of shifting stories and alleged lies?

    In this episode of Debate The News: True Crime, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco revisit the full timeline of the Natalee Holloway disappearance, from her last known moments after a night out at Carlos and Charlie’s in Oranjestad to the U.S. extortion and wire fraud case, van der Sloot’s Peru imprisonment for the murder of Stephanie Flores Ramírez, and the bombshell 2023 guilty plea and confession that prosecutors say finally explained what happened. The live discussion also debates alleged investigative missteps, corruption claims, the credibility of van der Sloot’s confession, and what a school-sponsored senior trip should have done differently to keep students safe.

    Tune in to hear:

    May 30, 2005 – Natalee Holloway vanishes in Aruba: Natalee travels from Mountain Brook, Alabama to Aruba with classmates to celebrate graduation. On the final night, she is last seen leaving Carlos and Charlie’s around 1:30 AM with three local young men, including 17-year-old Joran van der Sloot, and then fails to board her flight home as search efforts by land and sea turn up no trace.

    June–September 2005 – Arrests, shifting stories, and no charges: Attention centers on van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, among the last known people with Natalee. The three are arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder, but with no physical evidence and inconsistent accounts, they are released without charges.

    2006–2007 – Contradictions mount, the case stalls: The hosts walk through how van der Sloot’s story changes repeatedly—claims about dropping Natalee at a hotel contradicted by surveillance, plus later interviews that keep raising questions—while prosecutors still lack the evidence needed to move forward.

    November 2007 – Re-arrests and another release: Authorities arrest van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers again, but all are released within weeks for lack of evidence, leaving Natalee’s family and the public furious as the investigation loses momentum.

    Early 2008 – Hidden camera video and renewed attention: Dutch reporter Peter R. de Vries airs hidden-camera footage that appears to show van der Sloot implicating himself. The case is revisited, but officials cannot corroborate the statements on tape and no charges follow.

    March 2010 – FBI sting and extortion scheme: Nearly five years after Natalee disappears, van der Sloot allegedly demands $250,000 to reveal what happened and where her remains are. Beth Holloway alerts the FBI, a sting is arranged, and he receives $25,000 through a mix of cash and wire transfers—then later admits the story he sold the family was “worthless,” leading to federal wire fraud and extortion charges in the U.S.

    May 30, 2010 – Stephanie Flores Ramírez is killed in Peru: Exactly five years after Natalee vanished, 21-year-old Stephanie Flores Ramírez is found dead in a Lima hotel room registered to van der Sloot. He flees, is captured days later, and the case becomes a second tragedy tied to the same suspect.

    2012 – Natalee is declared legally dead: An Alabama judge declares Natalee Holloway legally deceased as her

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    40 mins
  • Missing on New Year's Eve: The Disappearance of Ana Walshe
    Dec 30 2025

    Did Ana Walshe really leave her Cohasset, Massachusetts home at 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day 2023 for a last‑minute “work emergency” — or was that the first lie in a deadly cover‑up? And how does a missing‑person report turn into a “no‑body” murder case built on digital breadcrumbs, blood evidence, and a trail of trash bags across the Boston suburbs?

    In this episode of Debate The News: True Crime, hosts Adrienne Barker and Joseph Lobosco revisit the disappearance of Ana Walshe, the 39‑year‑old mother of three who vanished after New Year’s Eve, and the investigation that led police to focus on her husband, Brian Walshe — culminating in a first‑degree murder conviction and a life‑without‑parole sentence even though Ana’s body was never recovered.

    Tune in to hear:

    January 1, 2023 – Last seen in Cohasset, MA: Brian Walshe claims Ana leaves their home around 4:00 a.m. for a supposed work emergency, heading to Boston’s Logan Airport for a flight to Washington, D.C. Investigators later find no evidence of an Uber/Lyft pickup and no proof she boarded any flight.

    January 4–7, 2023 – The missing-person report & search intensifies: Ana’s employer reports her missing after she fails to appear for work, prompting a welfare check at the home and a large‑scale search of the Walshe property and nearby woods. Police note suspicious details, including Brian’s Volvo cargo area appearing prepared for transport.

    January 1–2, 2023 – The Google-search trail: Prosecutors later reveal a chilling series of searches (made using a child’s iPad) including queries about body decomposition, dismemberment, and how long someone must be missing to inherit — suggesting planning as the public still hopes for Ana’s safe return.

    January 2–3, 2023 – Hardware-store purchases & dumpster runs: Surveillance footage shows Brian shopping for cleaning and disposal supplies (including a Tyvek suit, tarps, tape, and a hatchet) and then moving heavy trash bags to multiple dumpsters at apartment complexes — behavior investigators interpret as evidence disposal.

    January 8–9, 2023 – Search warrants, blood evidence, and the “trash pull”: A search of the home allegedly turns up blood evidence, and investigators trace dumpsters to a transfer station where they recover bags containing items prosecutors describe as blood‑soaked tools and materials, plus personal items tied to Ana. The case pivots from missing person to homicide investigation.


    January 17–March 2023 – Murder charges & indictment: Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey announces murder charges; Brian is arraigned and later indicted by a grand jury for first‑degree murder along with related charges tied to lying to investigators and improper handling of remains.


    Backstory – Red flags, alleged threats, and a reported “ransom” distraction: The hosts discuss disturbing prior allegations (including an older report to police about threats) and prosecutors’ claim that a phony ransom note surfaced during the early days of the investigation.


    February 2024 – The art-fraud conviction: The episode also digs into Brian Walshe’s separate federal case involving fake Andy Warhol paintings and related artwork fraud — a backdrop that shapes how the public views his credibility and motive.


    November–December 2025 – The Dedham murder trial, the “no-body” verdict, and sentencing: After delays and pretrial developments,...

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    37 mins
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