A new breed of con artists herd unwitting victims into a digital slaughterhouse. Master manipulators use a scam called “Pig Butchering.” They fatten up their prey with affection and the promise of riches, like feeding a hog on the way to the slaughterhouse. Pig Butchers use psychological manipulation to bleed victim’s savings.  If you believe similar schemes have victimized your family, friends, or business, report them to your local FBI Field Office, the Federal Trade Commission, and the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

In the shadowy underworld of early 20th-century New York City, a nefarious counterfeiting operation run by cunning Sicilian criminals thrived—until William Flynn and the U.S. Secret Service set their sights on bringing the ring to justice. At the heart of the story is the classic clash between good and evil, law and lawlessness. But in William Flynn, we have the archetypal determined detective hero - relentless, clever, and utterly committed to justice. This is a follow-up to our last episode about Flynn, known as the Bulldog Detective. I have curated the work of some of the best true crime writers from the early 20th Century. Please let me know if you like to hear me read these stories. PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE VINTAGE TRUE CRIME STORIES FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Through the mist of forgotten histories, the figure of William J. Flynn beckons, offering a glimpse into a life that, though eclipsed by time, remains a testament to human endeavor and spirit. In the early 20th century, Flynn, known as the “Bulldog Detective,” was one of the most famous detectives in America. As head of the U.S. Secret Service and later the Bureau of Investigation (forerunner of the FBI), Flynn led the chase for counterfeiters, took on the first Mafia crime family, pursued German spies during World War I, and launched America's first "war on terrorism" against anarchist bombers who blew up Wall Street. Yet today, Flynn is largely forgotten, overshadowed by his more controversial successor, J. Edgar Hoover.  A new book aims to change that and restore Flynn to his rightful place in history.  In "The Bulldog Detective," terrorism expert Jeffrey D. Simon provides the first full biography of this remarkable yet unsung American lawman. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

The mystery of Patty Hearst's transformation from a college student born into privilege to a Marxist militant wielding an M-1 carbine in a bank robbery remains as compelling as ever on the 50th anniversary of her kidnapping.  The abduction of William Randolph Heart’s granddaughter captured America’s attention in 1974. The saga of 19-year-old Patty Hearst pushed the impeachment of President Richard Nixon off newspaper headlines.  Searching for Patty Hearst by journalist Roger Rapoport delves into the heart of a story that blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator, between heiress and revolutionary. Was she a willing convert to the cause of the Symbionese Liberation Army or a young woman broken and brainwashed by her captors?  You decide. Link to Roger Rapoport's Website: Searching for Patty Hearst FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter PLEASE TAKE MY AUDIENCE SURVEY THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

David Berkowitz, known as the “Son of Sam,” terrorized New York City for a year in the late 1970s with a series of random murders and cryptic taunts to police and the press. Ever since then, the question of why he did it and if Berkowitz had accomplices from a Satan-worshipping cult has produced ceaseless speculation.  Now, Dr. Michael Caparrelli provides new insights into the mind of David Berkowitz in a new book titled Monster Mirror. Dr. Caparrelli is a behavioral scientist and was a pastor for 16 years. Drawing from 100 hours of face-to-face interviews, Dr. Caparrelli explores Berkowitz’s transformation from an infamous serial killer to a figure of introspection. My interview with Dr. Caparrelli sheds light on the complex psychological factors and experiences that shaped Berkowitz's path to violence.  It also examines his claims of religious conversion in prison and features a new confession. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

I opened my reporter's notebook to the historical case called the "Nine Days Queen." It's a tragic story from 16th-century England about Lady Jane Grey. Her life, a fleeting moment in the annals of English royalty, ended abruptly with her execution at just 16 years old. I take you to London's National Gallery to see her last moment poignantly captured in oil on canvas. National Gallery painting "Execution of Lady Jane Grey": https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paul-delaroche-the-execution-of-lady-jane-grey FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

This story shrouded in mystery, involves a Texas prison escapee that could be ripped straight from a spy novel. Bank robber and suspected drug smuggler Charles J. Woods of Dallas made a daring escape from a Texas prison and subsequently disappeared into the realm of the Mena Arkansas Conspiracy.  In my exclusive interview with fugitive hunter Louis Fawcett, we unravel the threads of Woods' escape to the mysterious town of Mena, Arkansas. The town's small airport in the Quachirta mountains was the base of operations for Barry Seal, a notorious drug and arms smuggler known for his connections to the CIA and narco Pablo Escobar. What was Charles Woods, a pilot, doing using the alias Richard Arthur Mills on a government identification card at the Naval Ammunition Depot in Oklahoma? Sit back and listen to this fugitive’s tale from the world of crime, mystery, and intrigue. Links to Stories about the Eastham Prison Unit You can hear more about Bonne and Clyde in my April 11th, 2023 episode The Enduring Fascination of Bonnie and Clyde: A Love Story Gone Wrong. You can hear just how tough Eastham was from David Stacks, one of its former wardens, in my November 28th, 2023 episode, Hard Time In Hell Among Texas Most Dangerous Prisoners. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Death Row Calling--I Know Where Your Daughters Live I delve into the shadowy underworld of contraband communication, where prisoners wielding illegal cell phones orchestrate a web of threats and criminal enterprises from behind bars.  My story revolves around the chilling case of Richard Tabler, a serial killer on Texas Death Row.  Tabler's audacious use of a smuggled cell phone to threaten a Texas Senator ignited a political firestorm, unmasking a glaring security breach within the prison system.  Contraband Cell Phones Seized at the Polunsky Prison Unit in Texas I reveal the alarming extent to which inmates can exploit contraband technology to reach beyond prison walls, posing a significant threat to public safety and the integrity of the penal system. Serial Killer Richard "Blue" Tabler on Texas Death Row 2007 You will also get a look inside the mind of a bizarre, cold-blooded serial killer who recruited an Army soldier from Fort Hood as his accomplice. And shocker, Tabler was a police drug informant committing murders. Serial Killer Richard Tabler -- Mugshot Texas Death Row In a typewritten letter to me from death row, Tabler claimed he had found Jesus there. Once you hear this, tell me if you believe him. READ: Serial Killer Richard Tabler's Death Row Letter To Reporter Robert Riggs FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight In the vast, rugged terrain of Texas, where the stories of outlaws and the law are etched into the very soil, we find a beacon of knowledge in an unexpected place: the walls of a maximum-security prison.  My guest, David Stacks guest is a seasoned Texas prison warden, a guardian of society's most dangerous individuals. The retired Warden is now the Director of the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, Texas. Having spent decades overseeing some of the most notorious criminals in the state, Stacks brings a wealth of insight into the criminal psyche. But more than that, he offers invaluable tips on personal safety, gleaned from his years of experience amid danger.  What can ordinary citizens learn from the strict protocols and keen observations of a prison warden? For one thing, nothing good happens after midnight. As we uncover these insights, we not only peer into the abyss of criminal minds but also learn how to safeguard ourselves in a world where unpredictability is the only certainty.  The Texas Prison Museum The Texas Prison Museum, established in 1989 in Huntsville, Texas, offers a profound insight into the history and operations of the state's prison system, the largest in the world. Huntsville, known for its pivotal role in the Texas Prison System, houses this museum due to its historical significance, being the site of the first prison and the headquarters for the state's Department of Criminal Justice. The museum features a diverse array of artifacts and exhibits, including an original electric chair used for 361 executions and various inmate-made objects, from craftwork to contraband.  FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

In this episode, I’m going to take you behind the high walls and razor wire into the dark corners of the largest prison system in the world.  David Stacks, a former Texas prison warden with 30 years of frontline experience, provides an unfiltered look at life behind bars. Today, Stacks is the director of the Texas Prison Museum. He’s here with stories from inside the toughest Texas prisons that held the meanest of the mean. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

This episode marks a somber milestone.  The 25th anniversary of the execution of Kenneth Allen McDuff – a name that chills the soul of the men and women in law enforcement who hunted him down – and the families of his victims. McDuff, infamously dubbed the 'Broomstick Killer,' was a figure of unparalleled brutality. His story isn't just a tale of sadistic crimes.  It's a saga that shook the very foundations of the Texas criminal justice system.  Kenneth Allen McDuff being escorted into the Texas Death House. McDuff, was believed to be the only condemned inmate in the nation ever paroled and then returned to death row for another murder. He went to death row in 1968 for killing two teenage boys, was paroled after the death penalty was overturned, and returned to death row in 1991 for killing two women. 11/17/1998 He was released on parole in the late 1980s under a cloud of corruption.  McDuff, within a day of his release, unleashed a reign of terror – abducting, raping, and murdering countless women, his actions embodying the darkest impulses of humanity. My original reporting on this case exposed not just a man's evil but a system's failures.  It led to a sweeping overhaul of the parole and prison systems in Texas, revealing a disturbing scheme of parole selling that shook public trust to its core. As I delve into this grim chapter, I do so with a purpose. We seek to understand, to remember the victims, and to reflect on the lessons learned.  The echoes of McDuff's crimes still reverberate, reminding us of the vigilance needed to safeguard justice and integrity within our system. Here’s an episode from my award-winning podcast series that led to us producing a five- part streaming documentary called “Freed To Kill.” FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

From The Investigative Archives In the wake of the recent Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis, my True Crime Reporter® podcast opened its investigative archive on the Gaza-based group's past fundraising and recruitment in the United States. After my embedded assignment with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, investigative producer Todd Bensman and I focused on how terrorists were using the Internet to raise money and recruit followers. Embedded Reporter Robert Riggs waits out a sandstorm in Iraq with a crew from the 101st Airborne flying a CH-47 Chinook helicopter dubbed the "Apocalypse Cow" Our investigation uncovered a monthly online magazine called Alsunnah that solicited suicide bombers to attack American and coalition troops in Iraq and Israelis. In this episode, you will hear how we tracked the origins of the web magazine from a Dallas suburb and its links to the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation, which illegally raised money for Hamas across America.  The foundation aimed to create an Islamic Palestinian state by eliminating the State of Israel through violent jihad. We obtained secret fundraising event recordings documenting their open declaration to kill Jews. A Holy Land leader referred to a suicide bombing as “a beautiful operation.” Listen as we track a deadly terrorist campaign from Dallas to the United Kingdom.  In the 18 years since my original reporting, you will hear that the objective of Hamas remains the same…Kill Jews.  Link to the Economist Intelligence Podcast Interview with Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk on October 11, 2023 FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

PDuring the Great Depression, Newsreels about John Dillinger, the first gangster declared Public Enemy #1, drew cheers from movie audiences across America and hisses when pictures of J. Edgar…

After 26 years in law enforcement, Glen Williams has experienced the toll that bearing witness to violence and tragedy can take. Williams, like many first responders, bottled up the pain and soldiered on. Unaware that his PTSD was wrecking his life at home and on the job.  Hello, this is Robert Riggs.  In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast,  we look behind the badge of the men and women in blue. Glen Williams has written a book titled Bridging The Gap aimed at helping police officers and other first responders heal after years of trauma. He speaks on the subject across the United States. Glen Williams - Author of "Bridging The Gap" In our interview, Williams opens up about the emotional damage he suffered from years of seeing the worst of the worst on the police beat.  Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment of PTSD FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

There's a crime trend sweeping the United States of flash mob thieves charging into department stores to make off with armfuls of loot. Gangs rush inside affluent suburban neighborhoods in night to break into cars. This episode of the True Crime Reporter® podcast responds to those of you asking me what they should do amid a growing wave of violence in urban America and overseas. A U.S. businesswoman recently told me she is afraid to work alone in a big city. I contacted Kevin Estela, the Director of Training for Fieldcraft Survival. L-R. Jared Taylor, USAF Vet - Andy Stumpf, Navy Seal Vet - Robert Riggs, Reporter - Mike Glover, Green Beret Vet & Founder Fieldcraft Survival Its founder, Mike Glover, was a Sergeant Major in the Army Green Berets. He deployed fourteen times to combat zones with Special Forces and the CIA.   But don’t expect his Director of Training to teach that every threatening scenario requires a gun. Kevin Estela - Director of Training - Fieldcraft Survival - Courtesy "Recoil OffGrid Magazine" Kevin Estela taught Advanced Placement High School History for 14 years. He is about using your head and being prepared.  His Phillipino father, who hid from the Japanese army in jungles and caves during World War II, influenced his survival skills.   Kevin offers advice on responding to a criminal assault, car accident, or natural disaster. In closing, here’s my Reporter’s recap and reflections. As Kevin Estela stressed, survival depends on preparedness.  He recommends carrying a tourniquet, a good flashlight, a BIC lighter, a Ferro Rod, a fire starter that can be used as an emergency signal, and a bandana. His book is titled 101 Skills You Need To Survive In The Woods. A second book covering advanced skills is on the way. I have placed links to his resources in these show notes.  You’ve been listening to the True Crime Reporter® Podcast: Stay True. Stay Safe. Stay Tuned for more stories from inside the crime scene tape. This is Robert Riggs Reporting. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Investigative Reporter Stephen Michaud, among the nation’s best, spent six years unraveling how an iconic ranch was taken from a dying Texas Cowboy. It's a sprawling Texas ranch near the border with Mexico where the biggest producing gas well in the United States was struck in 2004. The ranch and its mineral assets have amassed a 750 Million dollar fortune.   But, the cowboy who once owned it and his relatives never saw a penny. According to my guest, it’s a case of elder abuse like none other. Hello. I’m investigative reporter Robert Riggs with a longtime friend and fellow investigative journalist Stephen Michaud. You may recognize his name in the world of true crime. Michaud, in collaboration with Hugh Aynesworth, another giant of investigative journalism, wrote the definitive book about serial killer Ted Bundy in 1983 titled The Only Living Witness. In 2019, Netflix premiered a four-part documentary, Conversations With A Killer, based on 150 hours of audio recordings of their interviews with Bundy in prison.  Now Michaud is back with a fascinating look inside South Texas ranching royal families titled Robert’s Story, A Texas Cowboy's Troubled Life And Horrifying Death.  It likely came from these ranches if you ate steak in the 1960s. If you cooked with natural gas in the 2000s, some of it likely came from there.  Sadly, people close to Texas cowboy Robert East, the sole heir to all of this, allegedly took advantage of his simplicity. He died a lonely death on the iconic ranch. Here's our interview. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

In this week’s episode of True Crime Reporter®, Michael Jackson, the host of the A Funny Way of Looking Podcast, interviews me about the age-old appeal of crime stories. Michael’s podcast aims to educate in a fun environment, enlighten, entertain, and inspire listeners and viewers. We talk serial killers, journalism ethics, the scariest criminal I ever met, and more. Plus, Michael hits me with a two-option answer quiz called "This Or That?" to reveal more about the real Robert Riggs. Here’s Michael Jackson’s interview with me on the A Funny Way of Looking Podcast. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Doug Noll says murderers are not born, they're bred. Today kids revert to what they see around them...violence. Doug Noll founded the Prison of Peace Project. Noll teaches hardcore inmates how to de-escalate an angry, emotional person in 90 seconds or less. It’s a skill that we can all benefit from learning in this era of violence. Hello, this is Robert Riggs taking you inside the crime scene tape in this episode of the True Crime Reporter® Podcast. Besides telling interesting crime stories, it is also my mission to educate. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know we live in an epidemic of violence.  school shootings, mass shootings at malls and public places, road rage murders, senseless violent acts, and, as I have reported, outlaw motorcycle gangs shooting each other in broad daylight on Interstate Highways. Some days I think the world has gone crazy. Mediator Doug Noll with Chowchilla inmates in "peace circle" photo by Susan McRae 10/2/2010 Doug Noll is here to explain the causes and offer a solution that’s working in prisons. The California lawyer felt a calling in 2010 to create the Prison of Peace project at the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California, the largest women’s prison in the world.  Link to Noll's Book De-Escalate FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Free from Mexican narco's occult witchcraft, Ed Calderon savors the American experience. Calderon fled Mexico with this three-year-old daughter when he had to choose between working for a cartel in his police uniform or getting assassinated.  Ed Calderon - Former Mexican Counter Narcotics Officer I’m back with my third and final episode interviewing Ed Calderon. Calderon found refuge in America with help from a Navy Seal.  Today he works as a security consultant. We go back to a time in his hometown of  Tijuana, Mexico, before the cartels turned it into a killing ground. Here’s Ed Calderon remembering the long past good old days and the Cartel's dark arts of recruiting child soldiers. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about

Ed Calderon says the incomplete wall on the U.S. Southern border with Mexico is like Swiss cheese. "It won't stop any of the growing threats posed by the Mexican drug cartels," he says. Ed Calderon spent a dozen years working in counter-narcotics and organized crime investigations in the northern border region of Mexico. Ed Calderon - Former Mexican Counter Narcotics Officer Fled For His Daughter's Life To The U.S. The former state police officer knew he had to leave when the leadership of his drug squad under a new presidential administration told him, “You can take the silver, or you can take the lead.” Which meant they were on the payroll of a cartel.  That night, Calderon fled Mexico with his three-year-old daughter for the safety of the United States.  In part two of my three-part series, Calderon gives a unique look inside the crime scene tape where Mexican cartel members and their puppets in police uniforms get away with murder. Calderon says it’s getting deadlier with a war brewing between an old-line cartel and a new violent upstart. FOLLOW the True Crime Reporter® Podcast  SIGN UP FOR my True Crime Newsletter THANK YOU FOR THE FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ON APPLE Please leave one – it really helps. TELL ME about a STORY OR SUBJECT  that you want to hear more about