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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly.
Hey everybody, welcome back to this week's episode of Headline Highlights over here on Serialistly. It's me, Annie, your true crime BFF, here to break down some of the craziest cases this week. There are some updates in cases, there are some new cases. I'm going to be talking about some of the most crazy cases this week.
A lot has been going on and it's interesting because what I once thought was kind of a slow week in the true crime world all of a sudden picked up overnight it feels like which is never a good sign. So we're going to get into a lot of it today. Before we do I wanted to also give you guys a quick heads up and a reminder that the merch will officially be launching next Tuesday.
I have changed the landing page on the website to where you can sign up so that you don't miss it and you can be notified 'cause we are very limited with sizes and quantity. So if you wanna make sure you snag some of that,
Go to the website right now, which is shop10tolife.com. I will also link it in the show notes. And make sure that you drop your email to be notified because we are going to open pre-orders up Tuesday at 8 a.m. And again, there is very limited quantity available. But anyways, in today's episode, we are going to discuss, of course, the latest news on everything going on in the true crime world. And like I said, it's a lot.
Brian Koberger, the infamous accused quadruple murderer in Idaho, might actually get his wish after all to not have cameras in the courtroom while he still alleges that there was prosecutional misconduct in the grand jury proceedings. Also, Corey Richens, the one who basically is accused of poisoning her husband and then writing a grief book, a children's grief book at that, and now she's been arrested for his murder. Well, she's now studying for the LSATs behind bars.
And what else would a case update be without some sort of update in the Murdoch saga? Because Buster Murdoch still believes that the killer responsible for his mom and brother's murder is still on the loose, and he is doing a brand new interview and sharing a lot more information. So buckle up as I try not to go off the rails here in today's episode because these updates and these cases have me heated, if you can't tell already. Let's start with Corey. A
A new article by People magazine was published about Corey Richens. Remember, she is the mother from Utah who wrote that children's book about how to deal with grief after her husband suddenly passed away. The book was based on her family, specifically her three boys.
Now, since then, if you have been following the case with me over on my YouTube, you know that she has been charged with actually murdering her husband, which the prosecution says she did so by poisoning a Moscow mule with a beyond lethal dose of fentanyl. So if you want to get fully caught up on that case, too, I will also link it here in the show notes for you.
But specifically, prosecutors are saying that Corey was dealing with a debt of almost $2 million when she made the decision to give her husband Eric a spiked cocktail that contained five times the lethal dose of fentanyl.
which they say that she had procured this lethal dose from a housekeeper that was moonlighting as a drug dealer, all in order to collect on at least five life insurance policies that she had taken out in his name and which would more or less cover her debts.
Now, also, as a reminder, too, there was a lot of allegations that she had tried to poison him before. He had actually changed the insurance policy to where things weren't in her name. It's really complex. So once more, I will leave that in the show notes for you. But according to People magazine, now some of Corey's friends are speaking out and claiming that she is innocent and that the truth will come out. Also alleging that the prosecution has taken many things completely out of context.
The friends are even going as far as to say that they believe once everything comes out in trial that they are saying, I quote, So I wonder what information that is going to be that they are so confident will exonerate Corey.
The article continues by saying, and I quote,
Shortly before Corey walked down the aisle, decked in her wedding gown and pearls, Eric's mother presented her with a prenup agreement, barring Corey from claiming Eric's 50% stake in his stone masonry business, except in the event of his death. This was according to a civil suit over Eric's estate that was filed by Corey in the Summit County District Court in June.
The couple came to a head when Corey decided to start a real estate business a few years ago. Corey told investigators in an email sent weeks before her May 8, 2023 arrest that Corey wanted us to live the typical conservative life where the man takes care of his family and the wife is a homemaker. A wife, a mom, and that's it.
saying that is not my personality and not the way I was raised. She also added in this email, I wanted to be more.
So what's the truth here? Prosecutors say that hours after her arrest in a recorded jailhouse phone call, that Corey told her mother and brother that Eric asked her to purchase those pain pills for him and suggested that the drug dealer had sold her fentanyl instead. And now Corey, who is facing between 25 years to life in prison without parole if she's convicted of her husband's murder, is studying for the LSATs.
in the hopes of becoming a defense lawyer for people unjustly accused. Yes, that is correct. The LSAT, the Law School Admissions Test.
So my question is, is this a move where her defense wants to be able to tell the jury, hey, she's innocent, she's even hoping to become a defense lawyer to help others at some point, or is she genuinely innocent and just trying to fill up her time in jail and before trial? I really don't know. Also, just because you take the LSAT doesn't mean that you will be admitted into law school or be able to pass the character and fitness examination of the state bar, so...
Just saying, Corey, you still have a long way to go if you want to become a defense attorney, but I'm curious what the motive is here. Is it all for optics or is it because she legitimately wants to help wrongly convicted people like she's claiming herself to be? What do you think?
Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.
Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.
Let's transition a bit here over into good old Buster. Moving on to Buster Murdoch, Alec Murdoch's son. He recently broke his silence in a full interview as part of a new docuseries called The Fall of the House of Murdoch. And that is out today and is aired exclusively on the subscription platform for Fox Nation. Here are some of the trailer and teasers that have been released so far.
You decided to attend the trial every single day. How grueling was that for you? Well, it's incredibly grueling. I mean, every anxious, negative emotion is going through my mind at this point. I'm trying to take it in. I'm trying not to break down, trying to hold composure. He's also doubling down on what he says is his father's innocence, despite the overwhelming evidence that pointed to his guilt. I don't think that he could be
affiliated with endangering my mother and brother. Are you fearful for your life if you believe the killer is still out there? Absolutely. I think that I've set myself up to be safe, but yes, when I go to bed at night, I have a fear that there is somebody else still out there. When I look up the definition of psychopaths, like someone who can completely
get away with lying and acting normal and carrying through as if nothing's happening. Does that describe your dad when you look at those definitions of that? I'm not prepared to sit here and say that it encompasses him as a whole, but certainly I think there are characteristics where you look at the manipulation and the lies and the carrying out of that such, and I think that's a fair assessment. Twelve jurors all agreed that your dad killed your mom and pa. That's right.
What do you think about that? I do not believe it was fair. Why? I was there for six weeks studying it, and I think it was a tilted table from the beginning. And I think, unfortunately, a lot of the jurors felt that way prior to when they had to deliberate. It was predetermined in their minds prior to when they ever heard any shred of evidence. Did you ever go there and say,
maybe it's possible that he did this? - No, because I think that I hold a very unique perspective that nobody else in that courtroom ever held, and I know the love that I have witnessed. - Why would the jurors be inclined to go against your dad? - Because of everything they had the ability to read prior to the trial. - Do you ever worry, you know, am I like dad?
No, I do not worry because I am not a thief. I am not a liar. I'm not a manipulator. In those regards, I am nothing like him. His sister said someone approached her and said that you and Steven were romantically involved. His brother says that someone approached him and says that you were with a group of young men who beat him with a baseball bat. What do you say to that? To both of those? Absolutely baseless rumors. I unequivocally deny.
that you just read off of that piece of paper. I did not have any personal intimate relations with Stephen and that obviously cannot be proven because it is baseless. I never had anything to do with his murder and I never had anything to do with him on a physical level of any regard. Where were you the night that Stephen Smith was killed? The night Stephen was killed, I was at our Edisto Beach house. With your family? With my mom and my brother.
What did you feel like when you heard that this thing was surfacing again? Well, it's a lot like this and, you know, I don't want to be rude here, but have you ever been accused of murdering somebody? No. Well, let me tell you, this is very, very, very, very, very, it's a terrible thing to place on somebody with absolutely no fact. I mean, it has harmed my reputation. I mean, people perceive me as a murderer.
Okay, so that was obviously a lot. So let's break that down. Now, before we go into this, let me just preface everything with how awful I do feel for Buster. I honestly can't imagine what it's like to have your dad in prison for the murder of your mom and your brother. And while I'm shocked that Buster broke his silence, his interview was not so shocking in a lot of ways as well. First of all, there's no surprise that he completely denies any involvement in the death of Stephen Smith.
So far, nothing official has been filed against him either. As far as him still believing that his dad had nothing to do with the murders of his mom and brother, I think that's probably something that he has to do or a self-defense mechanism in his mind that won't even allow him to consider it to be true. Because I, for one, do believe Alec is guilty.
In some of the clips that were teased online, Buster says that he is still scared for his life and believes that the person that killed his mom and a brother is still out there. He also says that the Stephen Smith rumors have ruined his life, and until you know what it's like to be accused of murder that you didn't do, it's hard to understand the implications of such rumors. When asked about where he was the night of Stephen Smith's death, Buster said that he was at his family's, um,
beach house with his mom, his brother, the two people who are tragically no longer here to cooperate that alibi. Is that a coincidence or could that be true? So since the docuseries was released today I'm sure way more things will come out and you know I will be back updating you on this because I'm definitely going to watch. This family really piques my curiosity. I think there's a lot of wealth. I think there's a lot of cover-up. I think there is a lot of privilege and entitlement. So I
I'll probably do a full update, but I also will link in the show notes my recap of the whole Alec Murdoch saga from my YouTube page if you want to get fully caught up in that. And again, personally, I still do believe that his father is responsible for those murders. There's just way too many lies, way too many things that didn't add up in my opinion.
So while we're on the topic of murderers who don't want to take accountability, which I shouldn't, I guess, say it that way because innocent until proven guilty, but let's just talk about Brian Koberger for a second. And I have a lot of feelings on this case and on this guy.
Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.
Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky. So Brian recently waived his right to a speedy trial. So the October trial date is now totally out the window, which we really expected wouldn't happen anyways. We kind of knew that this is what was going to happen. However, now we could be waiting years for a trial. We just don't know yet.
Brian Koberger's attorney, Ann Taylor, has filed court documents requesting the removal of cameras from the courtroom for all future appearances, including pre-trial hearings and the trial itself.
Bryan's legal team argues that the pictures and videos being captured in the courtroom would hurt Bryan's ability to receive a fair trial with an unbiased jury. Ann Taylor included close-up photos of him in these documents, arguing that the media has violated the court's order to capture wide shots of the entire courtroom rather than just these close-ups of Bryan.
She stated that these images and videos gradually poison the potential jury pool prior to trial even occurring. Brian's defense claims that images and recordings taken of him interfere with his right to a fair trial, and that by using these videos and pictures, anyone can analyze his body language, which is prejudicial to the case.
Since the media violated the court's terms, Brian's legal team argues that cameras should be removed for the duration of any pretrial proceedings as well as the trial. They also cited quite a bit of case law in support of their request.
So if you followed the Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell trial, you know that cameras were removed in all court proceedings following a certain media outlet zooming in on Lori's face during a pretrial hearing for more than 20 minutes.
Her lawyers argued that this was disproportionate to the amount of time that the camera was pointed at anyone else, and that there was no reason for her to be zoomed in on in the first place because she wasn't speaking, and neither was her counsel. In Lori's case, Judge Boyce permanently banned cameras, but ended up changing his mind for the verdict and the sentencing only.
Since this was also in Idaho, it's not hard to see how the judge in Brian's case could easily make the same decision to ban cameras, since he now has recent precedent to rely on the exact same state with another high-profile case. So here's my thing. What is going on with those responsible for the cameras? Why are they violating the judge's instructions? Is it because they are uninformed or
Or what's really going on here? You would think that since cameras were banned in Lori Vallow's trial, whichever company is operating these pool cameras would try not to make that the case once again here with Brian, especially since I'm assuming they are employed by a company whose sole purpose is to document trials.
It really is just unbelievable to me. I would not be surprised if cameras were banned in this case, since this is also a death penalty trial. And now the media has essentially given the court a reason to ban them, because they can't follow simple instructions for whatever reason.
No matter where you stand on Brian Koberger, he is innocent until proven guilty. There are a lot of feelings on both sides, me included, but there are a lot of people who question his involvement completely. No cameras allowed in court proceedings would seriously hinder transparency to the public, which isn't a surprise that this would lead to even more questions and more speculation on what's going on in that case.
Additionally, a second motion to dismiss the grand jury indictment against Brian Koberger was filed under seal. No surprise there either. Brian's defense team is alleging grand jury bias, inadmissible evidence, insufficient evidence, and prosecution misconduct, among other things. Defense team is alleging grand jury bias, inadmissible evidence, insufficient evidence, and prosecution misconduct, among other things.
Defense attorneys also claim prosecutors are withholding exculpatory evidence. Since everything is under seal, we have no idea what exactly they are referring to, though. Without knowing, on the surface it seems like Brian's defense team is throwing out some serious claims. They're saying that the grand jury was biased and that there's not good enough evidence even to bring him to trial. They are also accusing the prosecutors of misconduct and of holding back evidence that could actually help clear Brian's name.
So while Ann Taylor is fighting to get these cameras out of the courtroom, they're also busy arguing that the whole case against Brian has some big holes. They're basically saying, hey, you're not playing fair and you're making it impossible for Brian to get a fair trial. I also think it's important to note that Ann Taylor is just doing her job and this doesn't necessarily mean what she is saying is something that the court would actually end up ruling in her favor.
So the hearing for the cameras is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, September 1st. And I genuinely hope I am wrong in my prediction, but we will see. What do you guys think? Should cameras be allowed or is this really tainting the jury pool?
So there were some other case updates this week, such as some things going on, such as a murder coming out of Bali. There was also another family annihilator in Ohio who murdered his entire family and then took his own life, which I just did a longer video of that case on my YouTube 10 to Life.
And there's just unfortunately no shortage of horrific crime going on. I wanted to give you these big headline highlights because it's ones that I know so many of you have been following and asking about. So stay tuned for all of the rest. I will be back again, of course, with you next Thursday with headline highlights. And this Monday, I will be with you going over a full, full deep dive of the McKenzie-Sharilla case.
So many of you guys have been asking for coverage on that. So that is coming bright and early Monday morning. And guys, it is coming.
It is a lot. It is going to be a deep dive. And for those of you who aren't familiar with her case, she is the one who reportedly, you know, drove her car at 100 miles per hour to kill her boyfriend. It's really sick and twisted. So I'm breaking it all down for you. All right, guys, all the things are linked in the description below. Don't forget the link to sign up for the merch drop so that you don't miss out on that. The link to the longer videos that we talked about in this case, some link to some other stuff, social handles, all of the things are linked. So go check that out.
Please take 30 seconds to give this podcast a quick rating and review over on Apple or Spotify if that's where you're listening to it on. And let me know what it is you guys want me to cover next. Let me know in the review that you leave because that's the best place for me to see what your requests are, how you guys want me to really refine this podcast, what kind of content you want me to deliver. So make sure to leave that in your review as well.
All right, guys, thanks so much for tuning in with me today on this week's episode of Headline Highlights. I hope you all have a very safe and long holiday weekend, and I will see you bright and early Monday for Mackenzie Shirella. All right, guys, I am signing off, and I will talk with you soon. Bye.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.
Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.
