Episodes

  • 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 mins
  • 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 mins
  • Bryan Kohberger’s Amazon Cart of Death: The Knife, The Selfie & The Psychology of Control | 2025 Year in Review

    Bryan Kohberger’s Amazon Cart of Death: The Knife, The Selfie & The Psychology of Control | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 27 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we revisit one of the most jaw-dropping chapters in the ongoing Bryan Kohberger case — the digital trail that may have done what he allegedly couldn’t avoid in person: exposing him completely.

    Investigators say Kohberger, the Ph.D. criminology student accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, may have left behind more than DNA on a knife sheath — he may have left a shopping list. A damning set of online purchases allegedly includes a K-Bar knife, matching sheath, and sharpening tool — all conveniently ordered from Amazon.

    In this Hidden Killers breakdown, Tony Brueski teams up with retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and defense attorney Bob Motta (Defense Diaries) to dissect the chilling implications of the so-called “Amazon Evidence.”

    If true, this isn’t just forensic coincidence — it’s a psychological signature. Dreeke dives into what these purchases reveal about a possible obsessive, methodical mindset: someone fascinated by control, process, and precision. But in his precision, perhaps also arrogant — believing intellect could outsmart technology.

    Then, Motta joins Tony to examine how this alleged evidence fits into the broader defense battle. Could the prosecution argue that Kohberger’s shopping habits show premeditation? Or can the defense spin it as circumstantial — just a “collector’s curiosity” in military blades?

    And yes — that infamous thumbs-up shower selfie allegedly taken hours after the murders makes its appearance. Motta and Brueski unpack the surreal combination of vanity, detachment, and potential trophy-taking behavior. It’s the kind of moment that would be laughable, if it weren’t so horrifying.

    Together, they explore the haunting question that lingers behind every piece of evidence: Was this a one-time act of obsession, or a rehearsal for something darker?

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


    #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #RobinDreeke #BobMotta #TrueCrimePodcast #AmazonEvidence #KnifeSheath #IdahoFour #CriminalPsychology #MurderTrial #CourtroomDrama #YearInReview #TrueCrimeToday #DefenseDiaries #JusticeForVictims


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    35 mins
  • Donna Adelson’s Downfall: The Jailhouse Matriarch Who Tried to Outsmart Justice | 2025 Year in Review

    Donna Adelson’s Downfall: The Jailhouse Matriarch Who Tried to Outsmart Justice | 2025 Year in Review
    Nov 27 2025
    As part of our Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review series, we’re revisiting one of the most jaw-dropping courtroom sagas of the year — the unraveling of Donna Adelson, the 75-year-old grandmother accused of orchestrating the murder-for-hire plot that took the life of Florida State law professor Dan Markel.

    In two of the year’s most explosive episodes, Tony Brueski sat down with both Defense Attorney Bob Motta (Defense Diaries) and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to break down how a once-untouchable matriarch’s arrogance and denial helped destroy her family’s last shred of credibility.

    Donna’s courtroom appearance was supposed to humanize her. Instead, it showcased the same manipulative charm and self-delusion that prosecutors say fueled her alleged role in the murder conspiracy. From the stand, she painted herself as a frail victim of “inhumane jail conditions” — right before prosecutors rolled out recorded jailhouse calls in which she and her son Charlie Adelson discuss potential escape routes and non-extradition countries.

    Oops.

    Motta dissects the strategic disaster of Donna testifying at her own bond hearing — a move that may go down as one of the biggest self-inflicted wounds in recent courtroom history. Coffindaffer takes it even deeper, exposing the psychology behind Donna’s belief that she could still talk her way out of accountability, decades after manipulating everyone around her.

    From family loyalty turned liability to delusion on display, this episode captures the full scope of Donna’s implosion — and what it means for the rest of the Adelson family heading into the next phase of legal battles.

    Will she ever take a plea? Could she flip on her daughter Wendi? Or does Donna still believe she can win the game — even when the board’s already on fire?

    🎙️ Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski — 2025 Year in Review: The Cases That Defined a Year

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    22 mins
  • Concealment, Panic & A Family in Freefall — FBI Profiler Breaks Down the Anna Kepner Case

    Concealment, Panic & A Family in Freefall — FBI Profiler Breaks Down the Anna Kepner Case
    Nov 26 2025
    The death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner is not just another tragic case — it’s a collision of panic, secrecy, and a blended family imploding in real time. Found hidden under a bed on a cruise ship, wrapped and concealed, Anna’s final moments are surrounded by unanswered questions and emotionally charged reactions from nearly every member of her family.

    Tonight on Hidden Killers, I sit down with retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke to cut through the noise and focus on the behavioral reality inside that small cabin. Because cases like this aren’t just about evidence — they’re about human choices under pressure.

    We look at the concealment:
    Why was Anna hidden?
    What does that typically signal in juvenile behavior?
    Where is the line between immaturity-driven panic and intentional wrongdoing?

    We examine the claim from the grandmother that the 16-year-old “doesn’t remember what happened.”
    Is that trauma? Dissociation? Avoidance?
    Or something investigators hear when the truth is too overwhelming to say out loud?

    We explore what happens when adults make catastrophic decisions — like placing teenagers with known tension in the same sleeping quarters — and how that shapes what happens next.

    And then there’s the public chaos: the stepmother pleading the Fifth, the biological mother spiraling on social media, relatives accusing each other, all while a teen girl is gone. Robin breaks down how investigators filter useful behavior from emotional theater and why public performance can sometimes be a clue in itself.

    This is the interview that strips away the speculation and digs into the actual human behavior behind the headlines.

    If you want clarity instead of noise, depth instead of rumor — you’re in the right place.

    #HiddenKillers #AnnaKepnerCase #CruiseShipInvestigation #RobinDreeke #BehaviorAnalysis #TrueCrimeBreakdown #CrimePsychology #FBIExpert #JuvenileInvestigation #FamilyChaos

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    27 mins
  • Ret FBI Chief Goes Inside the Panic: What Really Happened In That Cruise Cabin With Anna Kepner?

    Ret FBI Chief Goes Inside the Panic: What Really Happened In That Cruise Cabin With Anna Kepner?
    Nov 26 2025
    Tonight on Hidden Killers, we dive into one of the most emotionally volatile, psychologically tangled cases we’ve seen this year — the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, found hidden under a bed in a cruise ship cabin that was occupied only by members of her own blended family. No strangers. No intruders. No mystery figures in the hallway. Just a tight, enclosed space… and a family that’s now exploding in every direction.

    There’s a 16-year-old stepsibling publicly labeled a suspect.
    A stepmother invoking the Fifth Amendment.
    A biological mother unraveling publicly on TikTok.
    A grandmother claiming the teen “doesn’t remember” what happened and was an “emotional wreck.”
    And a father saying nearly nothing at all.

    This is where behavior becomes the story.

    So tonight, we’re joined by retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke — not to talk law, not to assign guilt, but to break down the human behavior inside that cabin, inside that chaos, and inside the minds of everyone involved. Because concealment is a behavior. Panic is a behavior. “I don’t remember” is a behavior. And when the environment is a confined cruise cabin shared by teenagers and stepsiblings, the decisions made in those first minutes after a crisis are often far more revealing than the noise coming later on social media.

    We’re unpacking how investigators interpret concealment.
    How they distinguish panic from intent.
    How juveniles process fear, guilt, and confusion.
    Why a chaotic family can cloud a case — or inadvertently expose truths.
    And how the FBI cuts through emotional wildfire to focus on evidence, timelines, and authentic human reaction.

    If you want a breakdown of what behavior actually means in a case like this, this is the interview you don’t want to miss.


    #HiddenKillers #AnnaKepner #TrueCrimeNews #BehavioralAnalysis #RobinDreeke #FBIInsights #CrimeInvestigation #FamilyDynamics #JuvenileBehavior #TrueCrimeCommunity


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    46 mins
  • D4VD NOT Cooperating With Investigators? More DARK Questions In Celeste Rivas Case

    D4VD NOT Cooperating With Investigators? More DARK Questions In Celeste Rivas Case
    Nov 25 2025
    The case of Celeste Rivas is turning darker by the hour. Major outlets now report that investigators are seeing forensic indicators consistent with cold storage, freezing, long-term concealment, and even possible dismemberment. And yet the person tied to the Tesla where she was found — a car abandoned on a hill — reportedly still hasn’t been interviewed.

    Not questioned. Not sat down. Nothing.

    That detail alone has sent shockwaves through the true crime world, because if accurate, it suggests investigators are holding their cards tight — and believe something bigger is at play.

    Tonight, we dig into:
    — What freezing or refrigeration indicators actually look like.
    — How investigators can re-date a death by months.
    — What it means when surveillance shows someone else driving the Tesla.
    — Why non-cooperation pushes investigators straight into digital forensics.
    — What multiple-suspect concealment typically looks like behind the scenes.
    — And what “final stage transport” implies about the car vs the primary location.

    To help make sense of this, we bring in retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, who walks us through timelines, digital evidence, storage environments, search warrants, and why this case feels far more orchestrated than anyone expected.

    A fifteen-year-old girl is gone. A digital web is tightening. And investigators are preparing for the next major development — whatever it is.

    #CelesteRivas #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeUpdate #FBIAnalysis #TeslaCase #TonyBrueski #Investigation #JusticeForCeleste #CrimePodcast


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    27 mins
  • The Cruise Cabin Mystery: What Happened to Anna Kepner?

    The Cruise Cabin Mystery: What Happened to Anna Kepner?
    Nov 25 2025
    Eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner was found hidden under a bed on a cruise ship — in a cabin she shared with her own family. A younger sibling asleep feet above her. A stepbrother now designated a suspect. A stepmother invoking the Fifth Amendment. And a biological mother recording a viral thirteen-minute meltdown online, blaming everyone but herself.

    This isn’t one tragedy — it’s the implosion of two families at the exact moment investigators are trying to reconstruct what happened in that tiny cabin.

    Tonight, we break down what authorities are really dealing with:
    — What it means when a minor is labeled a suspect.
    — How keycard logs, cabin cameras, and Wi-Fi tracking narrow the timeline faster than anyone expects.
    — Why concealment done quietly — while people slept — tells investigators something very specific.
    — Why a parent invoking the Fifth raises red flags behind the scenes.
    — And how constant public accusation from family members can contaminate witnesses and confuse the case.

    To help us cut through the noise, we bring in retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to walk through interview protocols with child witnesses, the meaning of a Fifth Amendment invocation in a juvenile death, and what investigators truly care about — evidence, not emotion.

    This case is still evolving, but one thing is clear: the truth inside that cabin is going to come out.

    Stay with us.

    #AnnaKepner #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CruiseShipCase #FBIAnalysis #CrimeUpdate #TonyBrueski #Investigation #CrimePodcast #JusticeForAnna

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    24 mins